The Key to Time
by Lumendea
Summary: In an attempt to reunite with Rose, the Doctor begins to gather the Key to Time with the help of the White Guardian but old enemies are reappearing to stop him and take the Key to Time. Classic Who references, but anyone can understand them.
1. Doctor's Orders

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter One: Doctor's Orders

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

In his roughly one thousand years of time and space, the Doctor had seen a lot of the universe. He had eaten foods from over thirty thousand planets and at some point in time had saved hundreds of worlds but some things he still would never get used to. Loss was one of them, in fact it was the big one, the main thing that he couldn't seem to defeat. He had defeated the Master so many times and had escaped the Black Guardian and his evil plans but he still couldn't adjust fully to loss.

This was odd, he had concluded it well over a thousand times. He had surely learned by now not to be struck down by loss, throughout his entire history he had lost people. From the moment he left his beloved granddaughter, Susan, with David he had known the cold of loss. He had been a father once and a grandfather but the Time War had erased that completely, he was alone in the universe. Jamie and Zoe had been taken from him and Jo Grant has left him for her future husband. Sarah Jane he had left behind when the Time Lords called, Romana had left to find her own adventures and she would die in the Time War. Nyssa had left to help others and Tegan has run from the horror of his life. Peri had married and become Queen of Thoros Alpha, Mel had left to travel with Glitz and Ace had departed to find her own life.

The list was long and yet it hurt now, more than he had felt for a long time. Even after two years the loss of Rose Tyler weighed on him harshly. A heavy burden that he couldn't seem to free himself of and he did understand why. After Martha Jones had left him, claiming that all he ever did was talk about Rose he had stopped, just for a moment to think on it. The result hadn't been a pleasant one but he knew it to be true. 

Rose Tyler had been special, not because she was brilliant or athletic or exceptionally beautiful. That silly little Earth girl from his favorite planet had been a balm to his injured soul after the Time War. Her actions, her way of looking at the world and her desire to see it and experience it had reminded his wearily pervious incarnation of what he had loved about it once. Rose Tyler in her strange way had been beyond fantastic, she had defied him and saved his life against the Daleks when he had again given up. She was always around to remind him of just who he was, even if she hadn't known everything, she by some miracle seemed to know him. Now that she was gone he knew that since his regeneration he had taken her for granted, forgetting that she wouldn't always be there, ignoring that fact whenever he could. He had felt that strain again as he had fought to contact her, just to know that she was alright.

At the time he hadn't known what to say or what he wanted to hear. What he had heard made the loss only harder. He had known, he had known for a very long time that she loved him. Many of his companions had but it was an unspoken rule, never confess, never complicate the trip. Just enjoy the Doctor's company as a friend for however long he'll let you stay. Rose loved him, he knew that and so often he had almost broken his unspoken rule to never let a companion see that he cared for them, that he needed him. With Rose everything had just been stronger and harder.

His life had changed the day he met her and while on the outside it hadn't changed the day he lost her, he knew he had changed. It had gotten worse since the day he said goodbye, the day he almost said... The Doctor shook his head, he couldn't change it, he would if he could. If there had ever been a time that he would try, it would be now but it would cost lives and Rose. He had a small smile on his face as he reminded himself that she wouldn't want that. Rose wanted him to be the Doctor and the Doctor tried everything else first before costing lives. Rose wouldn't want him to cost lives just to see her.

He touched his hand to screen and hit the command. He didn't know why he did this, he had never thought of himself masochistic but this behavior of his surely was on the edge. As the recording of his goodbye to Rose began to play, he leaned against the Tardis controls and touched the screen gently. Two years should have made this easier to think about, to feel but it hadn't. "I love you." She gasped out on the beach, alone and crying. He heard his own response even through the video was all of her.  
"And I suppose if it's my last chance to say it. Rose Tyler-" He flinched as the feed ended, knowing how much that must have hurt Rose. "I love you." He finished. "I love you Rose Tyler." He bowed his head and breathed deeply, filling his lungs with air, wishing his heart could be filled as easily. Over the years companions had filled one of his hearts between all of them but Rose and Susan, his family, owned the other.

In the two years since his goodbye, he had traveled with a few different companions: Martha had come aboard soon after Bay Wolf Bay but she had sensed his distraction and had left after only six months. A doctor named Diana Warren from the 42nd century had joined him for three months but at her romantic attempts towards him, he had exploded at her. He regretted it now but he couldn't not after Rose. He had made the mistake of letting himself fall in love only once and he hadn't been able to protect that one person. Still that hadn't been Diana's fault. After that things hadn't changed, he saved a few worlds, stopped a few bad guys but without a companion to remind him of the wonder of life, it lost it's shine and he didn't want any companion other than Rose. After two years he was finally giving in to the loss.

The Doctor collapsed back into his chair and stared at the frozen image of Rose and scanner screen. He hated it, the image of her crying was the last image of her he had, his last memory of her was of her crying. Ever since the day he had met her, he had liked her and wanted to protect her. He hadn't ever wanted to see the little Earth girl so full of life cry. As much as a small selfish part of him had wanted to her to love him, had wanted her to say it, he hadn't wanted her to cry while saying them. "I should have told you Rose." He whispered as if she could hear him. "I love you, I love you, I love you." He often did this, he would say it as if it would make her hear it. It didn't help and part of him knew it never would. Three more regenerations to go, then he could die and pray that maybe somehow if he actually got to heaven, if there was one, that somehow she would be there. Now he had no doubt of his fate, no matter how many times he regenerated he would love her, but he would never see her again.

The Tardis landed with a thud, surprising the Doctor from his brooding. He jumped up and checked the controls. Frowning he looked up to see the main doors opening. White light spilled into the Tardis and he blinked, shielding his eyes for a moment.  
"Doctor." A voice called and he paused recognizing it after a moment. "Forget it Guardian!" He yelled turning back to the controls but instead he found himself facing the White Guardian. The Doctor growled at him, "Get out of here!" The Guardian did not move, so the Doctor stepped around him to check the controls.  
"You're a mess." The Guardian observed, "And really Doctor blue really isn't your color." The Doctor ignored him so the White Guardian sat down in the chair gracefully. He brushed a speck of dust off of his white suit carefully before looking up at the Doctgor

"I'm here because I need your help." The Doctor sent him a look that would kill even a Dalek, the White Guardian ignored him. "The universe is shifting out of balance again, with the last of the holes closed." He paused, knowing that he was treading on dangerous ground, "The universe needs to be set back on it's proper path"  
"Good luck with that then." "I need you to gather the Key to Time again Doctor. Only then can I fix the paradoxes that have arisen from the universes clashing." The Doctor froze as he heard the Guardian's words, he turned to look at him.  
"You can use the Key to fix a paradox"  
"Yes"  
"How big?" The Doctor asked, a spark appearing in his eye.  
"Any size Doctor, I am the last thing to be affected by a paradox."

The Doctor was silent and ran his hands through his hair as the ideas began clicking together. He rushed around the Tardis controls, checking the various readings as the cogs spun in his mind. "Yes!" He spun and faced the White Guardian. "I'll get you your Key if you agree to use it to fix a paradox for me"  
"And what paradox would that be Doctor"  
"The one I'm going to create when I bring Rose home."

The White Guardian sat down in the chair and gave the Doctor a long look. "How will the Key to Time assist you Doctor." The Doctor grinned, a manic spark in his eye. The Tardis thrummed in response to the life in him. "If I don't have to worry about a paradox ripping the universe apart it becomes simple!" He cried, "I can get the Key and then contact my past selves. One Time Lord can't open a doorway between universes but ten of us together could do it easily and then my nine other selves can hold it open long enough for me to get Rose and bring her home"  
"And what if Miss Tyler does not wish to return." The Doctor froze, "It has after all been two years to her Doctor." The Doctor looked up at the Guardian, a deep seated pain clear in his fatigued eyes.  
"I need to see her, I need to tell her that I," He broke off, "I need to give her a choice"  
"And if she chooses no, Doctor"  
"Then I'll use up my last three regenerations as quick as I can." The Doctor snapped.  
"Ah yes this the rude regeneration." The Guardian said thoughtfully. He paused, considering the Doctor's plan. "Very well, you get the Key of Time for me and I will assist you however I can."

The White Guardian gave the Doctor a long look, "But do not forget Doctor, my counterpart the Black Guardian still dreams of chaos and death. He has never forgiven you and he will not allow you to gain the Key easily. Especially with you having so much personally at stake." The White Guardian leaned back in the chair, "The Key to Time is your last hope of finding the woman you love and he knows that as much as me." The Doctor turned back to the Guardian.  
"You knew what I would ask before you came"  
"Yes, Doctor I did." He smiled at him, "You need Miss Tyler, that is plain to see and it is in my interests to keep you sane so it is in my interests to help you get back to Miss Tyler."

The White Guardian stood back up and handed the Doctor a locator, much like the one he had used during his fourth regeneration. "I'm sure you remember how to us it." With that the Guardian walked towards the still glowing doors but just before he stepped over the threshold he paused and turned around. "A word of warning Doctor: it will be a long journey, full of monsters, dangers from the Black Guardian and battles." Tipping his white hat to the Doctor. "Basically it's right up your alley." As he vanquished he said, "Oh and don't be too hard on the new assistant." The Doctor groaned but turned around and blinked in surprise.  
"Master." The new K-9 Mark 5 beeped and slowly a grin appeared on the Doctor's face, one the Tardis hasn't seen in two years.  
"Okay I can live with this"  
"Affirmative." As the doors of the Tardis closed the Doctor activated the locator and beamed as the coordinates were fed into the Tardis computer. Rushing over to the screen he checked the coordinates.  
"Hold on K-9 we're heading to Ritvo!"

Up Next: Old Faces of Ritvo I 


	2. Old Faces of Ritvo I

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Two: Old Faces of Ritvo I

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

Regeneration was a strange thing, the changing of all his cells in essence brought him back to life every time. As he died, he returned in a form, a new man but none of that even began to compare to this. The thrill had returned, his sense of purpose had returned to him. The universe seemed fresh and brillant again because out there in it was the key to finding Rose! He grinned as he set the coordinates for Ritvo. Turning to the new K-9 he examined the fresh model. It had a levitation pad on the underside, strangely similar to the Dalek version. According to the new model, it had greater increased battery and power capabilities. The Doctor grinned, he couldn't wait to try his new pet out on a new planet. Rose would love it, he smiled grateful to now be able to think of her without the hopeless of the last two years. "Hang on K-9!" He yelled as the Tardis set down.

The Doctor grabbed his coat off the rail, briefly wondering when it was exacting that he had stopped using the coat rack. It had been with Rose, he decided, she was always tossing her coat over the rail. Crouching in front of K-9 he smiled at the metal dog. "Well boy, what do you detect"  
"Ritvo, oxygen atmosphere. Advanced technology. Temperate climate, C type gravity. Tardis landed in settlement of roughly one thousand." The Doctor grinned and headed for the door.  
"Excellent!" He looked back at the dog, "Well come on then K-9!" "Master"  
"What"  
"The locator." The Doctor looked up a smiled sheepishly before returning to the controls and picking it up.  
"Good dog"  
"Affirmative."

The Doctor stepped out, blinking in surprise as several fat snowflakes fell on him. "Well I'll be." He grinned as he took a few steps out of the Tardis and looked back at K-9. "You okay in this weather K-9"  
"Affirmative master. I am sealed against all weather." The Doctor nodded,  
"Good, glad to know your designer was on top of things." He paused, "Who designed you anyway?" K-9 beeped,  
"Your twelfth incarnation, Master." The Doctor blinked,  
"You mean to tell me that the Guardian had my future self design you for the present?!" The Doctor asked, crouching in front of K-9.  
"Affirmative, Master. Necessary to prevent paradox." The Doctor grinned,  
"Do you know my future K-9"  
"Memory designed only to current point in Master's life." The Doctor sighed, "Figured that, oh well had to ask."

The Doctor stood up and looked around, "Blimey, this is a nice little planet isn't it." They were in a courtyard of sorts. Many different types of plants and trees around them were covered in the soft snow and the building further out were all a cool clean white tone and were all quite tall. Taking the locator out the Doctor began scanning. "Come on then K-9, this way." The Doctor walked quickly down one of the smooth roads, grinning as he watched several car like vehicles drive past. The streets were mostly empty, but he attributed that to the cold.  
"Halt!" A mechanical voice yelled. The Doctor turned and looked to see a small droid floating above his head. It was only the size of his fist but it had what was quite clearly a weapon next to a camera on the top of it. "You are out without clearance"  
"I am a stranger here you see"  
"Where is your clearance"  
"I don't have any, I've only just arrived here." "Going outside without clearance, punishment death." The Doctor's eyes widen.  
"Well where can I get clearance?" "Clearance granted only to high levels." the droid beeped again. "Punishment to be carried out in four, three, two-" The droid exploded and the Doctor beamed at K-9.  
"Now I remember why I built you." The Doctor looked around the silent streets. "Not so nice a planet after all K-9. Come on then, let's find that segment."

The Doctor again begins moving towards the segment but this time with more caution, staying to the shadows of the buildings and not staring around like a bloody tourist. The locator begins beeping like mad as he reaches another plaza, similar to the one the Tardis landed in. Turning around slightly he grinned as it pointed to a stature in the center of the plaza. Grinning he touched the locator to it and his grin widened as he began downright giddy when the stature shrank back to it's original form. "One down." He said as he tossed it up in the air and caught it, "Five to go"  
"Master"  
"Not now K-9." He said, pocketing the segment.  
"Master"  
"What K-9?" He turned to see several guards with guns pointed at him. "I see your point K-9." The Doctor looked at the guards. "Is this about the clearance again"  
"Doctor you are under arrest"  
"Oh surely we can work out some-" he pause and looked back at the guard who had spoke. "How did you know my name." The guard smiled, several silver teeth showing the process. "Come he is waiting for you"  
"K-9, return to the Tardis." The guards jumped towards K-9 but the dog had already slipped into a service tunnel.  
"Leave the toy!" The senior guard snapped, "He wanted the Doctor."

The guards lead the Doctor to one of the vehicles he had seen before, "Nice cars, what do they run on? Oh, do you even call them cars? For all I know you could call them trains or planes or raxins, oh those are fun!" The guards cuffed the Doctor and dug through his pockets. "Hey those are mine if you don't mind." The Doctor said as one of the lower guards put the segment and the sonic screwdriver away in a box.  
"Shut up!" The guard snapped, pushing the Doctor into the back of the car.  
"Yes, everyone does seems to think that I talk too much"  
"Shut up!" They slammed the door, drowning the Doctor out.

The Doctor considered his options as the guards started up the transport, "So where are we going?" The guards looked over their shoulders with distaste.  
"To the capitol, our lord and master wishes to see you." The Doctor paused, considering this before deciding to go along with it. After all he needed the segment and his sonic screwdriver, plus that little voice in his head was yelling for him to jump.

The Doctor whistled, impressed as the guards lead him into a very tall building that even in the falling snow shined to shine in the sun. "Very impressive, I compliment the architect"  
"Don't you ever shut up." The senior guard growled.  
"Nope." The guard raised his gun, "And remember you lord and master wants to see me"  
"When the time comes Doctor, I shall enjoy killing you." Two other guards, these dressed in dark blue uniforms as opposed the red ones stepped forward to take the Doctor. The Doctor grinned, cheekily back over at the head guard.  
"Just think happy thoughts!"

The Doctor continued to grin as he was lead through the halls of the large building, the inside was just as white as the outside. He also continued to ask questions ranging from what the stone was to just who their 'lord and master' was. These guards didn't even respond to him at all, frowning the Doctor examined them closely, as he slowly slid his hands from the cuffs. Positive point of thin hands and long fingers. Keeping his hands behind his back, for appearance sake he stepped into a large room. The guards pushed him forward but did not move beyond the front door.

The Doctor had a strange deja vu moment looking around the large vaulted room. It was very Wizard of Oz, he kept waiting for the giant head to appear. Grinning he stepped forward. "This is nice, really it is but the heating bill must be horrid this time of year." He raised his eyebrows as a chair was raised on the platform in front of him, the back to him. "And people say I'm rude"  
"My you talk a lot in this regeneration." The chair turned and the Doctor took in the man in front of him with interest.

He was blond, but his hair was in spikes with sharp blue eyes looking at him coldly. The suit the man wore was the most familiar. It had a high black neck and flowed around him in a long cape. He smirked at the Doctor. "Don't recognize an old friend Doctor." He paused, "Well not surprising, I mean we haven't seen each other since before the Time War and well I didn't fight in it. After all, I'm not a Time Lord anymore." The Doctor's eyes widen and he dropped his hands, revealing at his hands were not longer bound.  
"The Master?!"

The Master chuckled at the Doctor's surprise and tapped a button on the arm of his throne. Another chair rose up in front of the Doctor from under the floor. "Please Doctor, take a seat. I'm sure that we both have many questions." Shaking off his stunned expression, the Doctor slowly took a seat, after checking for obvious traps. The Master chuckled at this, "After all these years Doctor I'm more interested in sharing some stories before I go back to trying to kill you"  
"Nice to know your manners are intact." The Master smirked and examined the Doctor in front of him carefully,  
"Much younger than the last time I saw you, that was what your eighth regeneration. Which one is this?" "Tenth." The Master nodded as they watched each other warily.  
"I've heard some stories about the Time War Doctor, tell me is it true? Did you really destroy our people." He smirked darkly at the anger that flashed in the Doctor's eyes.  
"I recall that you escaped and ran as fast as you could from the war"  
"I'm not a Time Lord anymore Doctor, I'm a parasite off of living humanoid bodies." The Master spat, "The war with the Daleks held no interest for me"  
"Meaning you couldn't profit off of it, millions died Master!" The Doctor yelled.  
"And you delivered final destruction." The Master shouted, he chuckled as the Doctor fell silent. "Hail the Doctor, the great exterminator." Clutching at the arms of his chair, the Doctor fought the need to flinch and the shiver running up his spine. Smirking the Master continued, "And then, then there was that surge of power. Even in the body of a humanoid, without my full Time Lord senses I felt it. Tell me Doctor what was it?"

The Doctor looked up at the Master and glared, "It was the Time Vortex unleashed"  
"Surely you did not..." The Master trailed off, his jaw going slack.  
"No." The Doctor paused and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face, "A human. An Earthling took the Vortex and wiped out the surviving Daleks." The Master sat back down in his chair, considering the ramifications of it.  
"Died of course." Deciding to play it safe, the Doctor nodded,  
"Of course. That kind of power." He shook his head, "Not even a Time Lord could survive it." He looked up at the Master after a moment of silence.  
"How did you know I was here." The Master nodded,  
"Scanners detected a ship materializing on the surface, cameras showed a blue box. Who else could it be but the great Doctor." "Why did you want to see me? Revenge or simply to wrap up questions of the Time War?" The Master leaned back and smirked.  
"Actually I want your TARDIS." "Not gonna happen." The Doctor stated, the Master sighed.  
"Really now Doctor, be civilized. I won't even kill you, you can have this nice little planet to rule over and I'll just take over the TARDIS"  
"Wow you'll let me live, that's new. What changed"  
"You're all that's left of the Time Lords. It seems a shame to kill the last of an endangered species to use that term from your favorite little planet. That and I know that being stuck in one place, one time would be the worst torment for you Doctor."

The Doctor leaned back in the chair, "I really doubt you want the TARDIS, she is well over a thousand years old now remember. That and the Black Guardian is hunting for me. He doesn't know what I look like now," He smiled, "Be horrid if he killed you instead of me"  
"And why is the Black Guardian after you Doctor"  
"Old grudge, you should know that better than anyone." The Master gave the Doctor a hard look but chuckled,  
"The sole survivor of a war and yet you haven't change"  
"You would have liked my last incarnation. Very tormented you might have gotten me to rise to the bait then"  
"Pity then Doctor." The Master said standing up and walking down the stairs. "So what is it that brought you to Ritvo"  
"Never been here before." The Doctor replied with a shrug. The Master smirked as a guard entered, holding the box that carried the Doctor's thing.  
"Or could it be this?" The Master said pulling the segment from the box, "My men haven't been able to identify it." The Doctor shrugged and gave the Master a cheeky grin.  
"It's pretty." The Master frowned,  
"Tell me Doctor or your life is forfeit." The Master threatened coldly.  
"Probably will be anyway." The Doctor replied equally harsh.  
"Take him." The Master snapped as the Doctor was grabbed by two very large guards. He watched the Master replace the segment in the white box as they dragged him away.

Up Next: Old Faces of Ritvo II 


	3. Old Faces of Ritvo II

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Three: Old Faces of Ritvo II

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

"Tell me Doctor or your life is forfeit." The Master threatened coldly.  
"Probably will be anyway." The Doctor replied equally harsh.  
"Take him." The Master snapped as the Doctor was grabbed by two very large guards. He watched the Master replace the segment in the white box as they dragged him away.

The Doctor sighed as he examined the cell, it was an energy barrier, to be honest one of the best he'd ever seen. No doubt the Master's own design, once a mathematical genius, always a mathematical genius. Still he couldn't let the Master have the time he would need to get into the TARDIS, luckily K-9 was inside the TARDIS so even with his key the Master wouldn't be able to take control of her. None the less, that didn't leave him a lot of time, he needed to escape, get the segment and get off of Ritvo before the Master could get into the TARDIS. The Doctor knelt and examined the tiny shield generator carefully before smiling. "The more advanced the technology," He pulled his glasses out from his inner coat pockets, the guards hadn't thought to take them away, "The more vulnerable it is to primitive attack." Sighing he pushed the lens out of the frames and placed them together oppositely. Carefully he moved the lens right next to the tiny generator and watched as the energy beam was disrupted by the refraction of the lens. After a moment the shield dissolved. He used the frames to hold the shield down before he jumped up and stuffed the pillows from the cot under the covers. He was finally getting a chance to see if that human trick would actually work. Jumping beyond the shield barrier, he pulled the frames towards him and out of the way. A moment later the shield reappeared and with is the Doctor's grin.

The Master smirked as he slipped the key into the TARDIS lock, "Finally I'm going to get off this worthless rock." He began to turn the key but it would not move. He pulled the key out and looked at it, the key was indeed glowing being so close to the TARDIS. Shaking it off, the Master slid the key into the lock again and tried to turn it. He swore loudly as the key refused to move again. Backing up, he left the key in the lock and examined it all very carefully. Losing his patience he lunged forward and desperately twisted the key but to no end. Instead he slipped on the snow and fell to the ground with a loud thump. Looking up he watched as the key was spit from the keyhole by the TARDIS and fell on his face. He climbed back up, grateful he hadn't brought any of his guards with him. Growling he picked up the key and kicked the TARDIS. "Very clever ship you've got here Doctor. It's been spending too much time around humans."

Inside the TARDIS, K-9 had his antenna out and was rapidly communicating with the ship. The TARDIS lights flashed in understanding as more defenses were activated than usual. K-9 beeped in rapid communication again as the key was spit from the lock. His eyes rotated in amusement of the situation as he remained poised, ready to shoot intruders.

The Master growled at the door again as he knelt and dug through the snow, trying to recover the key. Finally he found the flashing key that had slid over a foot under the top layer of snow. "This is ridiculous. Me the Master being beaten by a-a TARDIS!" He stood back up and fixed his robes, glaring at the box. "Very well Doctor. Have it your way." The Master angrily turned from the police box and pulled out his communicator. "Yes Captain Maters, I want the blue box in the Pelitax Plaza moved into the throne room."

The Doctor stepped quietly through the white halls of the building. He had so far evaded four cameras, three of the small driods, two guards and an intruder detection pressure system. The Master hadn't gotten complacent in his old age, not by a long shot. The Doctor stepped into the throne room and looked around very carefully for any guards. Seeing none he stepped into the room and grabbed the box, opening it with glee. He shoved the sonic screwdriver and the segment into his coat pockets and turned. His jaw went slack for a moment and he tensed up. "Should have know you'd show up sooner rather than later."

"Well what did you expect?" The Black guardian asked glaring at the Doctor as he lounged in a large black chair, "Let you and the White Guardian reset the universe and make everything good and peaceful again." The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged strolling up to the Black Guardian until he was only a few feet away. His expression was sullen and his lips were tightly drawn as he stood only a few feet from the Black Guardian and watched him. The Black Guardian smirked and took in the Doctor. "You're a lot darker than I remember Doctor. Not as happy go lucky as you used to be." 

The Doctor did nothing but after a long moment took another step forward and looked down at the seated Black Guardian, "Where were you in the Time War?" The Black Guardian looked at the Doctor with a blank expression, saying nothing. "Both of you, the universe is being torn apart and you do nothing." The Doctor felt his anger rise slowly. "Everything gone and neither of you acted, not you and not the White Guardian." The Black Guardian simply asked,  
"Why didn't you ask my counterpart that question." When the Doctor didn't answer he smirked, "Because now you don't really care about anything Doctor. Without a home, without any friends or family you're drifting, nothing to really live for." Deep and terrible joy covered the Black Guardian's face. "And you'd do anything to get something back. To bring back the person who somehow, through some miracle gave it meaning." He gave the Doctor a nasty smile, "And you won't risk that, no matter what, you won't risk the one chance you have left."

He frowned when the Doctor said nothing, ignoring the servants pulling in the TARDIS on a cart. "Very well to business." He looked at the Doctor seriously, "I want you to find the key for me. I'll help you find your Rose Tyler but the Key is mine after. The White Guardian doesn't care." "Neither do you." The Doctor said with a raise of his eyebrows. "True but I'm being upfront with you Doctor and if you don't I'll make this task as horrid as possible for you. Time may have given the key segments new times and places but I'll find them and I'll make you suffer when I do." The Doctor slowly smiled.  
"Guess what Black Guardian," He whipped out the TARDIS key and the segment, "You just gave me something to live for."

The Master sputtered as he walked in with his guards to see the Doctor shoving his key into the TARDIS lock and giving it a sharp turn. Spotting the Master he tossed the segment inside the TARDIS and grinned at his rival. "Well now I'm sure we'll meet again Master. Until then have fun! Lots and lots of fun, one place one time and all that!" Looking at the Black Guardian he grew serious, "And I'll see you soon enough I'm sure"  
"You've made a grave mistake Doctor." The Black Guardian hissed, the Doctor just looked at him, a haunted and dull look in his eyes for a brief moment.  
"Yeah maybe, I've made a lot of those but I'll guess we'll find out." He slammed the TARDIS doors and rushed to the console. Flipping a few switches, pressing a few buttons and holding down a lever he was of back into time and space.

Looking down at K-9, the Doctor took the locator from his pocket once they were in the vortex and placed it on the TARDIS. Bending down on the balls of his feet he regarding the machine, "What do you think boy?" K-9 beeped for a moment,  
"I compute Doctor-Master." The Doctor grinned and regarded the dog carefully.  
"I wish I could take my future self building you as a good sign." He looked off at nothing, thinking. "But I suppose I can't, I couldn't warn me now anymore than I can warn myself two years ago." He stood and walked around the controls. "Maybe I am being foolish." He shoved his hands in his pockets, "Even if I can get there and be able to return, she may be married with a baby." His voice grew thin, "She could have a great happy life that my coming could destroy. She could be dead." He sighed and ran a hand through his ruffled hair. "And even if I can bring her back, in a few years she'll be old with no other options. Stuck dealing with me, a never aging me and no family." The Doctor dropped into the chair and after a long moment he finally finished, "What am I doing? I said goodbye, I know she's alive. What am I doing?"

K-9 rolled up next to the chair, "Master." The Doctor looked down at the robotic dog and gave a weak smile.  
"What is it K-9?" The robot dog looked up at him.  
"Some things are worth getting your hearts broken for." The Doctor sat up and looked down at the dog, he had heard Sarah Jane tell Rose that all those years ago. He slid from the chair and onto a bended knee in front of the dog.  
"K-9..." He began slowly, "Why did you say that"  
"It is programed into my data banks Master." "Is there any other non technical information in your data banks?" The Doctor asked quickly, hoping that something, a clue of some sort had been accidently inserted. The answer drove that thought of it being an accident right from his mind.  
"One other thing Master. Some things are better with two." Standing up the Doctor beamed and set the locator into the TARDIS controls. "Okay K-9, we're going to Chittipon."

Up Next: Adaria of Chittipon I 


	4. Adaria of Chittipon I

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Four: Adaria of Chittipon I

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

A regal woman with mocha skin and black hair bound up in a head dress that matched her long flowing red robe looked down at the man before her from her throne. "You're sure of what you saw?" Her voice hid her fear well as she fought to maintain her calm and collected mask. The simply dressed man, a farmer, nodded and lowered his eyes further. "Yes my Queen, I'm sure of what I saw." Several of the robed men standing to the side, the Queen's advisors began to whisper. The Queen nodded to the farmer.  
"Thank you for informing me, you may return to your family now." The farmer stood slowly but as he started to the leave the Queen raised her hand, "A moment." The farmer turned to her shaking, fearing trouble. She smiled, "What is your name"  
"Robin of Levine." The Queen nodded.  
"Gods be with your Robin of Levine."

When he was gone the Queen stood gracefully from her throne and looked to her advisors for a moment. "Queen Adaria," One of them said stepping forward, "Surely you must leave for the country." Adaria looked at him for a moment before shaking her head slolwy.  
"No, he said he would come." She stepped up to a wall and inserted her medallion into a small grove. The wall slid to reveal a small vaulted room. Sunlight poured in through a small hole in the roof and onto an elaborate relief. "He promised my mother that he would be here when the star invaders returned." Adaria raised her hand and ran it carefully over part of the relief. "The Doctor will come."

The advisors and Adaria jumped in surprise when the sounds of blasting was heard from outside. Adaria swallowed and took a deep breath as the noise grew louder. Moving quickly she left the alcove and hide it once more before following her head advisors to the entrance to the secret passage. The head advisor took the Queen's hand. "Go my Queen, you know where to meet him and what to do." He kissed her hand. "Gods keep you"  
"Gods keep you Anthatic." Queen Adaria said before slipping into the passage with one of the throne room guards. Anthatic sealed the passage and turned back to the front doors in time to see them broken open and their guards thrown into the room. Taking a deep breath, Anthatic drew himself up to full height and glared at the intruders. "You will not succeed in taking Chittipon, you didn't seventy years ago and you will not now."

The Doctor grinned as he rushed around the controls, pressing various buttons and flipping certain switches. He ignored the suggestions K-9 made every few minutes on how to more efficiently fly the TARDIS. The Doctor was more than happy to ignore them, he had been flying the TARDIS for almost one thousand years, he could handle it. K-9's suggestions briefly made him smile, thinking of Romana and how she had tired to explain the proper way to fly the TARDIS to him. As the scanner beeped on, he dismissed the former companion and turned his focus back to the one he was trying to get back to. He briefly held down a green button before giving on of the levers a great lurch. The wheezing noise lessened as the TARDIS shook and touched down. 

Still grinning the Doctor checked the scanner and the locator. "Prefect landing K-9! Chittipon right in the Age of the Evanovical!" He pulled the locator from the TARDIS controls. "What do you think"  
"Master I am detecting non native technology on the planet." The Doctor frowned.  
"That's not right, the Chittiponas shouldn't be space traveling or using alien technology yet"  
"I am now detecting a large force of ships gathering in the atmosphere"  
"How many and what type?" The Doctor asked, kneeling before the tin dog.  
"Out of range of my sensors Master." The Doctor stood and checked the scanner patching through to the radar. "You're right, looks like an invasion force." He sighed, "Why can't this ever be easy?" He looked down at K-9. "Don't answer that."

After putting the locator and his sonic screwdriver firmly in his pockets, the Doctor threw on his overcoat and stepped out of the TARDIS. He looked around carefully and turned his eyes up to the green sky of Chittipon. He listened for a moment as K-9 rolled out the door. "K-9 how long until the invasion force begins the main assault"  
"Difficult to say Master. Scans show that some forces have already landed on the surface in a nearby settlement. The size and the technology of the settlement suggest it is one of Chittipon's prime cities." Nodding shortly the Doctor looked around at the grove of trees they had landed in. "Sounds about right, let's go." He started to move in the direction K-9 had indicated when a loud shout rang through the area.  
"DOCTOR!" 

The Doctor spun to see a dark skinned woman in red robes rushing out of the forest towards him. Blinking in surprise he caught her when she merely collapsed from exhaustion. She looked up at him with raw awe and joy. "Doctor!" He blinked in surprise as he slowly set her back on her feet as her breathing patterns normalized. "You came"  
"Who do you know my name?" The Doctor asked, greatly confused. Now it was her turn to look confused with him.  
"Seventy of our years ago you promised to return when the invaders did." She was looking at him very strangely. "My grandmother told my mother who told me. I am Adaria Queen of Chittipon." She looked down at K-9 and smiled slightly. "All the stories are true, you really do have a metal animal with you." The Doctor held up his hand to stop her for a moment.  
"Okay how many years ago was I here?" She blinked.  
"Seventy of our years Doctor. You saved us from the Kurjs and said that when they returned you'd come back to help us." The Doctor nodded slowly and smiled.  
"Okay Queen Adaria. Give me a moment to check on the position of the Kurjs and then you can bring me up to speed." The Queen nodded and stood silently as the Doctor motioned K-9 back into the TARDIS and followed. Once inside the Doctor looked down at the dog.  
"Do you know anything about this K-9"  
"Master?" The Doctor looked down at the dog and frowned.  
"Come one, clearly I'm going to be here in the past, so if my future self built you he must have given you the necessary data." "Negative Master. No data on Chittipon available." The Doctor groaned and gave his chair a kick before flinching in slight pain.  
"Why can't it ever be easy. Just once I'd like getting a segment to be short and easy." He collected himself and stepped back out of the TARDIS to talk to Queen Adaria again. "Okay Adaria, tell me exactly what has happened."

The heavy footfalls laced with metal echoed in the sterile gray hall a seven foot tall creatures in heavy armor walked towards the control center. It's four arms were grasping a complex weapon and it didn't move it's blocky helmet covered head at all as it moved. A door slid open before the Kurj and it stepped into the control center. Around the gray boxy room were seated other similar creatures dressed in a similar way, only small medals at their necks showed any difference. A large one with a gold and mauve medal sat on a large gray square in the center of the room, giving orders. The soldier approached him,  
"Report soldier"  
"Leader, the scanner have completed the scan of the planet and our first patrol has taken the palace." The Kurj simply called Leader nodded his understanding before the soldier continued his report. "The scan also detected alien technology." The Leader's head snapped to the right to look at the soldier. "Is it the Doctor?" The soldier shook his head.  
"We do not know Leader. Shall I send a message to Kurjistixco"  
"No, not until we have positive identification on the intruder"  
"Understand Leader"  
"Return to your post."

The Doctor was all too aware of the confused look the Queen Adaria was giving him. "So Kurjistixco is your twin planet and they keep trying to invade." He clarified and she nodded slowly but he could see suspicion rising in her eyes.  
"Doctor, you know this. You stopped their last invasion seventy years ago and promised you'd return to stop them this time." The Doctor nodded, "So why don't you know this?" The Doctor quickly collected himself.  
"Adaria, I travel all over the universe, I've saved thousands of planets." He gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged, "I just want to make sure I don't mix up any information." He sobered, "Knowledge is power after all." Adaria smiled and sighed in relief,  
"That's what you said to my grandmother." He smiled at her in return, "So Doctor, where do we start?" 

The Doctor followed Adaria to the city walls where he carefully looked into the city. "Well the invasion scouts have arrived." He looked around, assessing the damage that the Kurjs had done. "They've knocked out most of your communications." He sighed, "Classic invasion strategy, ensure that help can't come." He looked at Adaria, "Did you see how many made it into the palace?" Adaria shook her head.  
"No my advisor had me in the passage before they entered." She looked at him sadly, "Only the royal family knew where to meet you." The Doctor nodded understanding and noting this for when he saved Chittipon for the first time in the future. He smiled slightly at the thought of explaining this to Rose. That thought reminded him of his mission, he looked over at Adaria.  
"I need your assurance on something Queen Adaria." Adaria blinked in surprise at the stern and serious look on his face. After a moment she nodded,  
"Name it"  
"I came here seeking something. Once I help you, I need to get it and I need your assurance that no one will stand in my way or prevent me from taking it." Adaria smiled at him slowly and chuckled.  
"Have you forgotten it already?" It was his turn to blink in surprise when Adaria pointed to the thick golden band on her finger. "You told my grandmother to make sure that our family took good care of it." The Doctor smiled and laughed, wondering which self he had to thank for making this so easy. "I guess my memory is going more than I thought." Queen Adaria regarded him for a moment before smiling and chuckling again.  
"If I did not know in my heart that you are the Doctor for my family's stories I should worry about your lack of memory." The Doctor regarded Adaria for a moment before grinning and looking back into the city. 

The Doctor looked at Adaria for a moment and turned to lean against the way as he thought, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Okay, the soldiers are receiving orders from a command ship in the atmosphere"  
"Correct Master." K-9 whirled, "Ships distance in three hundred kilometers up from present location." The Doctor nodded and slowly smiled.  
"You have a plan"  
"Half of one anyway." He said with a smile. "Do you think the Kurjs know I'm here?" Adaria shrugged,  
"It is possible, their technology is a few decades beyond ours." "More like a few centuries." He muttered, "Oh I'm sorry, I'm being rude again." He began to ignore the Queen as he looked up at the sky and thought carefully. A flash of raw excitement sparkled in his eyes just before he dropped on his knee in front of K-9. "Okay now listen K-9, this is very important."

Up Next: Adaria of Chittipon II 


	5. Adaria of Chittipon II

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Five: Adaria of Chittipon II

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: My muse has returned!

The Leader looked down at the flight crew angrily as the ship gave a powerful lurch, "What was that!?" One of the crew members turned to him and saluted him with two of their hands over the center of their chest and the other two firmly at their sides.  
"We don't know sir, something just disturbed the shields"  
"That's impossible!" The Leader snapped, pulling off his helmet revealing the grey sunken in face around three eyes. "Nothing can get through our shields."

The TARDIS wasn't hard to stop at all in the flagship. It had landed right in the middle of one of the engineering rooms. Sticking his head out, the Doctor grinned broadly and stepped out after making sure there were no guards. Placing his glasses on the bridge of his nose, the Doctor stalked up to the main control panel and began to examine the technology. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he leaned forward til his nose was almost pressed against the covering of a dial reading. "Hmmm." The Doctor straightened up and stepped back briefly to take in the machine as a whole. After a moment he sighed and said to himself, "I hate doing things backwards." He brightened after a moment, "Still can't be helped." He realized that he was talking to himself and sighed, "And here I am talking to myself."

Dropping the train of thought the Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and carefully opened the heavy metal panel, covering the circuits. Reaching in he hmmmed as his long fingers searched for what he was looking for. His face brightened slightly as he found it and closed his fingers around it tightly. Pulling the rough and thick metal slab into his view, he cleared the other circuits and wires away. Using the sonic screwdriver he turned off a part of the circuit. Looking at the readings he grinned and closed the panel, cleaning everything up so the one false circuit wouldn't be found quickly. He walked into the TARDIS for a moment but as the alarms began to activate the Doctor strolled back into view in the Engineering section.

He grinned as the alarms began to go off and with a cocky smile he walked over to the TARDIS and casually leaned against it. As the engineers rushed in, they noted him with a start as the Doctor gave them a small wave. One of the them hit the security alarm, or so the Doctor concluded from the high pitched ringing that suddenly filled the area. The Doctor grinned as the guards rushed in and pointed their weapons at him menacingly. "Well now," He raised his arms in surrender. "Take me to your leader."

Adaria looked over the wall fearfully before looking back at the small tin dog the Doctor had left her with. She had been taught from the day she was born to have faith in the strange being who traveled in the blue box but as she looked at the small machine she felt a spark of fear for herself and her people. K-9 paid no heed to her, despite picking up her increased heart beat on his scanners, instead the computerized dog continued in his task of hacking into the systems of the alien ships through the signals. The Doctor had been rather impressed when K-9 had informed him of his ability to do so. If he had the capability to feel pride he would feel it in regard to his improvements over the earlier models. Still the tin dog used his small transmitter to cut off the Kurj communications to the planet.

After a few more minutes of transmitting K-9 spoke, "Queen Adaria, it is time." He rolled forward and slowly Adaria followed K-9, careful to stay low and out of sight of the soldiers. K-9 lead the Queen over to the east end of the outer city walls and hummed gently as he scanned the area. "Stand back Queen Adaria." The Queen leaped back when K-9 fired on the wall and the metal blocks making up the wall melted away. "Queen Adaria." K-9 spoke, regaining the Queen's attention. "Please lead me to the secret passage you spoke to Master of." 

Nodding Queen Adaria moved through the main hole and walked carefully along the wall for a few feet. Looking up she checked the positions of the guards before darting across to the inner wall. Pressing herself against it tightly she watched in apprehension as K-9 followed her. She froze and kept her hands firmly against the metal surface behind her. "Proceed." Queen Adaria looked down at the machine.  
"I don't suppose you can whisper." K-9 was still for a moment and then spoke.  
"Adjusting volume." Queen Adaria almost laughed as the volume of his voice decreased. Smiling she shook her head.  
"You and your Master are quiet a pair"  
"Affirmative."

After taking another moment to calm down and get her bearing, Adaria lead K-9 down the length of the wall to a section hidden under a balcony in the back of the city. Pressing hard against one of the large metal bricks, the Queen then tapped three times on a second before pushing hard against a third below the other two. A metallic clicking could be heard and then slowly the metal shifted back and to the side to open a small doorway. "After you K-9."

The Leader roared as the Doctor was lead into the control room. Grinning the Doctor nodded to the enraged commander. "Hello there, I'm the Doctor or have we met before." "Doctor!" The Leader hissed, "Your defeat of us is a source of shame to us." The Doctor shrugged and stepped away from the guards.  
"Well I simply don't want you to invade Chittipon. From what I know of your two planets Kurjistixco and Chittipon existed in peace for the last hundred years until your planet over mined. Now you're left short of metal resources while the Chittipon have too much of the stuff, so much they build their cities from it. Chittipon on the other hand needs medical technology so here the thing." He stopped pacing and looked right up at the Leader. "Why invade, trading works so much better since you don't even have to keep a captive population under control"  
"Silence!" The Leader yelled, standing. His two tops arms folded over his chest and his lower two hands clenched in anger.  
"Why does everyone think I talk too much?" The Doctor asked. "I mean really I present my idea, I explain it for those not as clever as me and really how do they respond"  
"Silence Doctor!" One of the soldiers at the communication station suddenly hit the alert and turned to the Leader.  
"Leader! We've lost all communication with the troops on Chittipon!" The Leader hissed at the Doctor but before he could do anything a new communication channel was opened.

Queen Adaria straightened herself up and stared harshly at the Kurj Leader from her throne. Around her the formerly imprisoned advisors stood while her guards stood with the captured Kurj warriors. "Greetings Leader. I have reclaimed my city and taken your warriors prisoner. Your communications, engines and weapon systems have been disabled. I am your only method of contact with Kurjistixco. If you wish to return home a treaty of peace and trade must be signed and agreed to by your government"  
"Never!" The Leader hissed. Adaria was unshaken by this, making the Doctor smile.  
"Then I wonder how long you can last up there with only reserve power"  
"The Fleet will come"  
"Empty threat." Queen Adaria stated. "With the assistance of the Doctor's computer we have discovered that you are the entire fleet of Kurjistixco." She smirked a tiny bit and raised her chin a touch. "No one is coming to help you, I could destroy you but your planet has knowledge that can benefit us in trade." The Leader chuckled.  
"An interesting move your majesty. One your ancestors would be proud of but I hold your revered Doctor prisoner."

Now the Doctor's grin widen and he stepped forward again. "Now see that's the thing about me, I'll talk and talk and talk but I'll never say anything." He glanced at the screen to see Queen Adaria smiling. "Meanwhile you assume that you know exactly what is going on." He smiled, "When really you don't have a bloody idea." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. "Bye now." He hit the button and his image vanished from the control room. Queen Adaria smiled when the Leader howled in anger once again.  
"As you can see Leader you are beaten. Surrender your fleet and none shall be harmed. You have one hour to decide. I shall contact your government." The communication was cut off and the crew turned to look at the Leader, awaiting orders.

Queen Adaria stood up from her throne when a loud wheezing filled the throne room. Next to her K-9 beeped and said, "Doctor-Master approaching." A moment later the TARDIS materialized in the throne room, causing the advisors and troops to step back. Throwing the door open, the Doctor happily stepped out into the throne room. Ignoring the surprised and awe filled faces he stepped up to Adaria and asked.  
"Have you contacted the Kurjistixcan government?" "Brilliant, and their answer"  
"They accept the treaty and wish for their troops to be allowed to return home. I just ended communication with the Leader of the fleet. He had accepted the decision"  
"Even more brilliant!" The Doctor yelled, "Come on." He grabbed Queen Adaria's hand, ignoring the gasps and her laugh as he pulled her outside. They could see the invasion force over the planet. "Now watch this." The Doctor whistled for K-9 who rolled out after them. Kneeling down he grinned at the computerized dog. "Okay boy you know what to do"  
"Affirmative Master." K-9 beeped and whirled as he transmitted the information to the ships. The entire population of the city and palace watched in silence for the next few minutes until the ships vanished from the atmosphere, then cheers filled the air.

The Doctor grinned at Adaria who returned the smile as she clutched the skirts of her dress. Outside the doors of the otherwise empty throne room they could hear the celebrating. From here the Kurjs and the Chittipons would remain steady and peaceful trading partners which would later bring them into their star systems united government of planets in roughly five hundred years. Shoving his hands in his pockets he nodded, pleased with the results and after another moment he looked to Adaria. 

"I hate to spoil the moment majesty but we both have a lot of work ahead of us." Adaria nodded and breathed deeply,  
"I suppose there is no point in trying to convince you to stay." The Doctor merely gave her a small smile and she nodded. Pulling off her ring, she handed it to him.  
"Thank you." He said sincerely. After bowing her head in respect, Adaria began to walk away.  
"You and Rose are always welcome here." The Doctor blinked and looked at Adaria who was already a few feet away at the doors, ready to return to the celebrations.  
"Rose?!" She looked back at him and nodded.  
"Of course, her name is in our records." Adaria looked at him confused again. "Again you seemed surprised Doctor"  
"Was she here with me?" Adaria shrugged,  
"I do not know Doctor. I know you mentioned her. Why do you not know?" The Doctor looked at her with a small smile and she sighed. "All questions and no answers"  
"Good luck Adaria." 

With that the Doctor turned and started back towards the TARDIS. Pulling out the locator, he touched it to the ring and grinned when the ring glowed and shimmered as it changed shape. Replacing the locator in his pocket he pulled out his whistle and gave it a sharp blow. Opening the TARDIS doors he held them open to allow K-9 to roll in before shutting them tightly. After putting the segment with the first one, the Doctor returned to the control room and pushed the locator into the terminal. After a moment he blinked and looked at the readings again. "Blimey K-9! This is should be fun, Menlo Park, New Jersey, the United States, Earth. 1878."

Up Next: Off to See the Wizard I 


	6. Off to See the Wizard I

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Six: Off to See the Wizard I

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: This episode is very fast pace and points go to those who can figure it out. You all have Almathea to thank for getting this chapter so quickly. Since we live together, he threats are more effective and she's also the wonderful beta!

The lab was noisy, despite all the complex work going on within it. Inside the long two story red building teams of scientists toiled around new ideas and improving old ones. The summer heat made the place stuffy, high windows were open for air flow but not to the point of allowing the equipment to be damaged. Thomas Edison looked around the room, he was dressed like all the rest, his brown hair combed to the side and his sleeves rolled up. He was bent over a new model of the phonograph with one of his assistants but he stopped as the temperature began to drop. Straightening up, he and the other scientists looked around the building in awe. One of the scientist grabbed a piece of paper and began taking notes. Edison stepped into the middle of the room and looked up. 

Edison gasped, as did the other scientists when a hole appeared in the ceiling. Only this hole was more like a vortex, beyond it they could see strange shapes and colors. A few of the scientists turned to run but then the pressure built. All the windows and doors slammed shut and try as they might, they would not budge. The winds circled in the room, building and building until it began to pull in the papers, the books and the lighter equipment in. Everyone grabbed on to anything they could and one tried the telephone but got no signal. They looked to Edison who simply stared up at the hole with pure curiosity and awe. Shaking the room, the power of the hole built until all the furniture and all the men were pulled in. After a moment the hole vanished and a scraps of paper that had merely floated and spun through the air without being pulled in, floated down to the ground.

The year was 1878 and the place was Menlo Park, New Jersey, the United States of America on the planet Earth. The Doctor grinned as he set the TARDIS down, out of sight behind one of the smaller buildings of the area, away from the main laboratory. He turned to K-9 and leaned back against the controls, "Do you realize that I've met most of the most brilliant minds this planet has to offer but I've never looked up Thomas Alva Edison." He shook his head still grinning widely. "Really it's amazing to me, I mean yes granted he was doing a lot of the same research as other people at the time but the man did have a gift for putting things together. The maker of the first incandescent light bulb with high resistance, a small radiating area, and a commercially useful lifetime." He had long since stopped talking to the robotic dog at this point and just enjoying the thrill of the ramble. "I mean born poor, part deaf but he works his way up in the world through hard work and brains"  
"Master." "Not to mention a great attitude, I really can't believe I've never bothered to see him"  
"Master"  
"He got his first patent when he was twenty-one"  
"Master." The Doctor turned to look at the dog,  
"Oh what is it K-9"  
"Humans approaching." The Doctor went to the scanner and saw some youths approaching the TARDIS, he sighed.  
"Every so often I miss that chamaeleon circuit."

The Doctor sighed and grabbed his overcoat, pulling it on rather clumsily before straightening his tie and stepping out of the TARDIS. He beamed as the two adolescent boys jumped back from him. "Hello there." He grabbed one of their hands and shook it, "Great day isn't it, weather is just prefect." The two men stood there stunned as the Doctor just grinned at him. He became slightly more serious a moment later, but only slightly. "Either of you know where I can find Mr. Edison." They turned around and pointed across the lawn to the main building. "Brilliant!" The Doctor laughed before nodding to them, "Thanks."

The Doctor stopped in his tracks when he entered the lab. His brown eyes swept over the place and he frowned deeply, his forehead wrinkling. Only a few of the heaviest tables and pieces of equipment remained but the place looked like a tornado had run through it. Stepping over a broken table the Doctor looked around carefully, his history told him that Thomas Edison should be here now, working on perfecting some inventions and starting his work on the light blub. Bending down, the Doctor checked the floor over very carefully in one of the back corners. Not a speck of dust. Standing back up, the Doctor looked up and sighed. After a moment he pulled his whistle and blew into it, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked into the center of the room.

The Doctor shuddered and had to steady himself against a table, well half a table. As K-9 entered he beeped in concern. "Are you functioning correctly Master?" The Doctor paused and looked around again, still feeling strange. "K-9 scan for any residual energy, anything at all." K-9 nodded and began the scan, the Doctor shivered and pulled his coat tighter around himself. That was odd, he never got cold, he was a Time Lord. Taking a deep breath the Doctor tried to calm himself down but the strange feeling was returning, even stronger than before. Swaying the Doctor fell to the ground and gasped for air, suddenly feeling unable to breath. K-9 rolled over,  
"Master you must leave area at once." The Doctor looked up at K-9, barely able to focus on the machine.  
"Why"  
"A hole in time has been created here recently, this unit reasons that is where the scientists have gone." The Doctor nodded and with great effort pulled himself up, only to fall against the wall. Panting the Doctor drug himself along using the wall for support until he reached the door. He proceeded to push on the door but it wouldn't move.

Throwing his weight against it had no affect and he could feel the pressure building. "K-9!" The Doctor yelled, putting his back against the door as he slumped down, "Use your lazers, get this door open!" K-9 moved forward and fired off two shots. The Doctor ducked as the shots reflected off the door and through the room. "Unable to breach affected area Master." "Yes thank you K-9 but I noticed." Pulling out the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor flinched in pain as the pressure increased. He scanned the door but got no readings.  
"Master." The Doctor shoved the sonic screwdriver back inside his pocket and looked at the dog.  
"What is it K-" He broke off as he looked up to see the hole reopening.  
"There's something you don't see everyday." The Doctor muttered. "K-9 any ideas"  
"Negative Master, not enough data to formulate necessary information." The Doctor looked up at the hole and felt it pulling him in. He could see K-9 sliding towards it in the corner of his eye.  
"Brilliant, just brilliant." After he muttered those words and let out a choice curse in his native tongue, everything went black.

Thomas Edison shivered violently and curled himself into the corner of the small cell. He had been separated from all the others: all of the them had been shoved into separate small boxes all in a row. Tiny small metal boxes and only the small window in the door. He shrank back as a dark shadow passed by his cell, he had given up trying to get answers after the first few times. It was useless, he had caught a glimpse of their captors and knew that this was beyond him. What he didn't understand was what they wanted with him and his research team. They hadn't spoken to them at all since they were brought here. Edison leaned forward when he heard the footfalls stop not too far away and he crept forward carefully.

"Our bargain is only temporary." A deep voice that made Edison shiver said in a very tone and dangerous angry tone. The haughty voice that replied did not seem worried in the least.  
"I know how to handle the Doctor, his final destruction will be sweet"  
"The loss of his TARDIS and the chance of getting the Key to Time will break him completely." The deep voice agreed, "But it is not enough"  
"If you do not wish to kill him then I suggest after I take his regenerations and return to my birthright that you leave him in that lovely little Time Vortex you made." The man laughed but Edison could not see them. "Then as the eons pass we could look in on his suffering"  
"I have no need of you past this Master." The first voice snapped, "Do not consider yourself to be greater than you are as much I reward pride I do not accept it in my presence"  
"At least I'm not limited by a weaker and good counterpart Guardian"  
"You will mind yourself body snatcher you are not a Time Lord yet." The first figure vanished and Edison blinked, now able to see the fine cut but cruel face of the second man who laughed.  
"True Guardian but soon I will be the last Time Lord."

The Doctor groaned at the pressure on the side of his neck and slowly opened his eyes, only to close them as a bright light was shined into his eyes. He felt the chill of metal beneath him and realized that both his coat and overcoat had been removed. After a moment he opened them again slowly, giving his eyes time to adjust. The light swung away and creature moved forward or rather glided. It was a shimmering creature with a smooth almost liquid looking skin that flowed around and down like a dress. It's features were almost human and this one had what would have been a lovely female human face, if it hadn't been silvery green. The Doctor blinked and tried to sit up. He blinked up at his host, "It's rather rude to chain up a guest." The creature blinked two large black eyes at him before gliding closer.  
"You are a guest Doctor. Do not be concerned." The Doctor frowned,  
"How do you know me"  
"You will open the TARDIS and give us the segments." The Doctor sighed and let his head fall back and hit the metal surface.  
"Working for the Black Guardian are you." The Doctor chuckled and grinned, "Must be getting worried, he didn't make a move this fast last time." He looked over at his ▒host', "Do you know he waited until I was getting the last segment, that's the sixth one to even step into the picture. I swear he's all about big talk but that's all it is talk." 

His host blinked at him, not reacting at all but she did say. "I am Altaian of Forren"  
"I've heard of the Forrens but I've never met one." The Doctor said his gaze flying over her quickly, "Great scientists but no discipline in what they try to do." She straightened at that comment and he raised an eyebrow.  
"The Time Lords were known to us as well Doctor." Her black eyes became cold. "Only through the use of our technology did we survive the Time War." He leaned his head back and looked at her carefully.  
"You have to let me go." The Doctor said softly, his eyes distant and sad.  
"Why?" "Because if I don't assemble the Key to Time and if things aren't reset, the shockwaves from the Time War will never stop." He frowned at her. "Even now after all this time, the ripples of it are still tearing holes in the universes and causing time rifts. Prove that your species is as benevolent and wise as you claim and let me fix it." Altaian did not respond to him but checked his braces before gliding away. The Doctor raised his head and looked at her retreating figure, "Hey where's my dog?"

After a few minutes of testing the strength of the bonds, the Doctor can to the conclusion that he was not going to escape by use of raw force. Looking around the room carefully, he spotted the controls for the bonds near the door, at least thirteen meters away. He also noted the various tools for all kinds of different operations stored around the room and very quickly decided that he needed to escape as soon as possible. Grinning, he spotted his coat across the room in a clear locker, he hoped that the locator was still secure in his inner pocket. That was the last thing he wanted to fall into the Black Guardian's hands.

As the door swung open, he laid back acting as calm and compliant as he could. The Doctor blinked when a humanoid entered the room, looking at an electronic chart. He was an attractive bloke looking a bit older than the Doctor with very distinguished features and very dark hair with a few fine strands of gray. He smirked at the Doctor drawing a glare from the Time Lord but it didn't phase him. Rather he grinned and chuckled before walking over to the locker and opening it. He slipped his hand into the inner pocket and pulled out the locator. Finally he spoke when a grin, "Got yourself into a lot of trouble this time." He pulled off the lab coat and tossed it aside, revealing the black trimmed suit beneath it and shoved his hands into the pockets along with the locator. "I believe that's mine." The man took it out and ran a finger over it smiling before holding it up in two fingers with his right hand. His blue eyes glinted with amusement as he reached over and hit the controls of the braces. They opened with a hiss and the Doctor sat up.  
"Actually it's ours."

Up Next: Off to See the Wizard II 


	7. Off to See the Wizard II

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Seven: Off to See the Wizard II

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: Almathea held her pitchfork to the back of my neck until I finished this chapters so review and keep her from hurting me! This episode is going to be three parts.

"Actually it's ours." The Doctor looked at him carefully as the man in front of him as he rubbed his wrists. The stranger grinned and tossed the Doctor his jacket and overcoat. "Come on, I need to help you find that segment and get you along our way before anything is changed." The Doctor finished pulling on his coat and located the sonic screwdriver, still in his pocket. He tried to avoid allowing his jaw to drop at the situation he was now presented with, it had been a very long time since anything like this had happened to him.  
"So which one are you?" His rescuer threw him a dashing smile,  
"I'm your twelfth self, I've never imagined that you'd get along well with the next version of yourself hence I'm the one who stepped forward for this." The Doctor took him in carefully but as he felt the almost forgotten presence of another Time Lord in his mind he relaxed. "Well you've done this before. What now?" "Leaving would be a good idea." The Tenth Doctor couldn't help but glare at himself, he had forgotten how trying crossing his own time line could be.

They slipped from the room quickly, the Doctor was surprised by the lack of guards but followed his older self calmly, deciding to save the questions and argument for later. Pulling up a vent the older Doctor motioned into it and after searching his future eyes for any trick the Doctor climbed in. His future self climbed in after him and grumbled, "This is my favorite suit"  
"So it's still suits"  
"Oh our next style is very different"  
"Ginger?" The Tenth Doctor asked as they reached the end of the tiny metal tunnel, he climbed out and stood up looking around. From the looks of it they were in an abandoned computer room. His older self climbed out and dusted himself off, a distasteful look on his face. "You know better than to ask that." 

The Tenth Doctor turned to look at himself carefully, shoving his hands into his pockets, mimicking his older self. It seemed some habits didn't change easily. His older self smirked, that was going to drive him mad. "Alright I'm out of the prison but they still have the scientists, if we don't get them back to Earth the course of human history will change." "I agree but we need to be careful it's not just the Black Guardian behind this." He sighed and shook his head, "He's joined up with the Master." The Doctor's eyes widened.  
"For years we don't see either of them and then they team up." The Tenth Doctor snapped, "Where's the sense in that." His older self shrugged,  
"What we're doing now is selfish and personal, an ideal time to attack"  
"We've save the universe time and time again. We're allowed to be selfish this once." The Tenth Doctor said, turning his head to look at the older version over his shoulder.  
"I didn't say we didn't." The Twelfth Doctor shrugged and walked to one of the computers. "If we can get these connected back to the rest of the space station systems we can see what we're up against." The Tenth Doctor nodded and joined him at the computers. "I'll take the security system, you patch the communications through"  
"Who put you in charge"  
"I'm older." The Twelfth Doctor reminded him and the Tenth Doctor bit back a rather choice remark. His older self glanced at him, "I'm being difficult on purpose." His smirk grew a bit, "Need I remind you that if you get the Key to Time collected and survive the Black Guardian, you'll still need to convince our earlier selves to help. We don't always get along when put together." The Tenth Doctor sighed and slipped down in front of the communications systems, using the sonic screwdriver to open the system controls.  
"Understatement."

Edison pressed himself to the wall as one of the shimmering, water-like beings entered the room. "Follow me." Edison took a deep breath and straightened himself up before nodding.  
"Where are you taking me"  
"Your captor will see you now." Edison reminded himself to breathe and followed the strange creature. As he was lead into the halls he could see his scientists, locked away and he gave them brave nods. They stopped at the door to the holding block and waited as the sound of heavy gears echoed and the door slowly opened. "This station is very old, the technology is ancient." The shimmering being said before moving forward. Edison nodded vaguely, trying to keep up with it and not look at the soft glowing lights in orbs in the walls. "Amazing."

Edison nearly walked into his guide when they stopped in a large room, he had been consumed with trying to see everything that he missed now that they had stopped. Straightening up he looked in front of him and held back a shiver. The man-no being before him was dressed all in black and had a scowl on his face as he looked at Edison. "Tell me your name human"  
"Thomas Edison." He tried to calm down, "Surely we've heard of"  
"I do not waste my time with Earth and it's humans." Edison nodded, weakly very confused.  
"I see then why have you taken us prisoner." The Black Guardian scowled at him and glared but a voice behind him answered.

"You have part of the Key to Time." He turned to see the same man he had seen earlier near the holding block. The man was standing proudly with his hands folded in front of him, if his earlier words had not made Edison feel so ill he would have been impressed with the man.  
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." Edison said sincerely, now caught right between the Master and the Black Guardian. "It lies." The Black Guardian hissed but the Master held up his hand.  
"Patience my friend, patience." He stepped forward and grabbed Edison's shoulders. "This is after all merely a human." He let go of Edison and stepped around him to speak to the Black Guardian. "The Doctor carried a locator of sorts on him, has it been taken from him"  
"Yes, they shall bring it here soon." The Master nodded,  
"Then we have nothing to worry about. Using the White Guardian's own creation we will find the segment." Both the Master and Black Guardian looked to the door when one of the Forrens entered.

The Forren bowed deeply but Edison could see it was shaking, that was interesting so other forms of life had similar responses. His thoughts were cut off by the yell of the Black Guardian, "Where is the locator." The Master approached the Forren in quick steps and grabbed it harsh around the neck.  
"Where is it?" The Master repeated and the Forren whimpered, a light musical sound that made Edison want to cry as the Master twisted it's neck.  
"The Doctor escaped." The Forren whispered gasping in agony. The Master released it and shoved it back against the wall before looking to the Black Guardian.  
"Find him! Find that locator!" Edison stepped backwards as the Black Guardian swooped from the room, followed by the Master. The Forren that had brought Edison here rushed to aid the other and Edison realizing that he had been forgotten slipped out the door.

The Tenth Doctor grinned and laughed as the, he estimated, hundred year old system sprang to life. Rocking on the balls of his feet her brought up the comm channels. Looking to his future self, he saw that he was about to complete the final steps in his own work. Looking down at his hand, the Doctor tried to push his thoughts away but sighed. "No she's not." He looked over at his other self who had spoken. As the security system sprang to life he gave his younger self a small smile, "Rose isn't with me." Seeing his younger self was about to speak he cut himself off, "That doesn't mean the plan won't work but no one can see their own future, not even us." He smiled, actually smiled. "Knowing that I'm needed here and now if Rose was with me I'd drop her off at a hotel and let her spend a few days shopping of something." He turned back to the system and brought up the layout.  
"What if this doesn't work?" The Tenth Doctor asked staring at the machine's datadisplay.  
"Then we will know that we tried everything to get her back." The Twelfth Doctor replied without looking at him, the Tenth Doctor shook his head.  
"Actually I meant using the computers to find the source of the Time Vortex." His older form's lips moved into a soft smile but he kept his eyes forward.  
"No you didn't."

They said nothing else, both simply taking in the available information and trying to think or in the Twelfth Doctor's case, waiting for his cue to act. The Tenth Doctor leaned forward and looked at the security feed. "Looks like we're not the only ones on the loose." His future self looked over and they could see Thomas Edison trying to find his way around. He nodded and looked back to his computer and smirked,  
"I found the Time Vortex generator." He raised an eyebrow as his younger self leaned over.  
"Oh now that's nice work. Really very well done, the Master's brains no doubt." The Twelfth Doctor rolled his eyes before hissing,  
"Shut it well you." Standing up in a smooth motion he fixed his suit and started for the door to the old room. His younger self bit back another comment and stood up as well.  
"Sure the door will work?" The Tenth Doctor asked, shifting on her balls of his feet. "No one but us have been in here for over a hundred years." His older self only pulled out the sonic screwdriver, drawing the Tenth Doctor's attention, it was about the same size but the color was red. The door slid open smoothly and he older self up the sonic screwdriver back into his inner pocket before walking out the door.The Tenth Doctor nodded in approval, "Very nice, any chance of me getting a look." Ignoring him, the Twelfth Doctor stepped into the corridor.  
"No." The Tenth Doctor's face fell and he followed him,  
"Oh come on. I mean obviously you're brilliant. I haven't had much of chance to examine K-9 but the new upgrade are just brilliant." As he kept going on the Twelfth Doctor stopped and laughed, shaking his head before looking over at his younger self.  
"No wonder our Eleventh self was so quiet!" He chuckled at the look on his younger self's face and started back down the hall. The Tenth Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets, pouting and muttered,  
"If I killed my future self would that be homicide or suicide?"

Thomas Edison sighed in relief when he avoided a group of guards, no doubt searching for this ▒Doctor'. He closed the door he had run through, careful to be quiet, before he sighed again leaned against the door. Taking a breath he took in the situation, he was in over his head and this ▒Doctor' was clearly hated by both men and he might understand what was going on. After another moment Edison turned to take in the room he had run into. He frowned and stepped forward slowly, seeing a strange metal shape chained to the table that somehow reminded him of a dog. As he moved closer the lights of the machine came on, causing him to jump back as it raised it's head. "Batteries recharged." The dog turned it's head around to look at him. "Identify." Edison sputtered and walked around the table.  
"What are you?" He breathed, leaning in close. "You appear to be a machine but you'll clearly beyond what I know"  
"This unit is K-9 Mark IV." Edison nodded and took a deep breath,  
"I am Thomas Edison." K-9's lights flashed,  
"Thomas Edison of Menlo Park, inventor." Edison was taken back but nodded.  
"Yes," He sighed, "I'd say I was dreaming since this makes no sense"  
"You and your team were pulled into a hole in time and space, you are on an alien planet." Edsion collapsed into a nearby chair.  
"All I wanted was to get to work on a new light blub!"

Edison froze in fear as the metal door swung open and the two Doctors stepped into the lab. The younger looking man with brown hair and the brown suit grinned seeing the dog. "K-9!" He walked to the table and tested the restraints on K-9 before pulling out the sonic screwdriver. "One moment boy and I'll have you out of those." The Twelfth Doctor stepped up to Thomas Edison and held out his hand.  
"Mr. Edison I'm Doctor Tyler." The Tenth Doctor swung around to look at him, "And this is Doctor Smith we're here to help." Edison nodded slowly and shook the man's hand.  
"I'm afraid I'm very confused with the present situation gentlemen. I really don't know how much help I can be." The Tenth Doctor lowered K-9 to the floor and joined his future self in speaking with Edison.  
"Well you understand basic electrical currents right?" Edison nodded,  
"Of course." The Tenth Doctor grinned broadly,  
"Then you'll be of great help Mr. Edison."

Up Next: Off to See the Wizard III

Want the next part then review! 


	8. Off to See the Wizard III

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Seven: Off to See the Wizard III

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: Alright the final chapter of the three part special! Enjoy and review! If you have this marked as a favorite please take time to leave me a review.

Thomas Edison was silent as he trailed behind the two men, who seemed very content to bicker with one another, and the small machine that rolled along behind the two of them. He was surprised at the two men, Doctor Tyler and Doctor Smith they seemed very alike in their thoughts but seemed to have a great disdain for each other. Doctor Tyler suddenly stopped short, and started pressing a series of buttons on a wall panel. Doctor Smith stopped talking and stepped up to look at the series of numbers with interest. "You really won't tell me anything?" "No and shut it." Doctor Tyler snapped to the younger man who seemed just as cross. Edison shook his head slowly, continuing to convince himself that this was all just a strange dream.

The Twelfth Doctor smirked as the door slid open and he strode inside. It was another lab, much like the one that they had discovered K-9 and Edison in. "Alright then." He said picking up a small tool and ignoring his younger self he looked to Edison. "Mr. Edison this is an electrical circuit amplifier." He handed the tool to Thomas Edison. "Now the being that captured you and your team have created a large machine that holds time and space still in one small area, your lab." The Twelfth Doctor glanced at the Tenth Doctor who was looking at him in interest, trying to gather some information. "Now because of this neither myself nor Doctor Smith can get close to the machine but you can." He dug into his suit pocket and pulled out a small metal cube. "I need you to insert this into a small hole you will find in the machine and then use the electrical circuit amplifier to run the current through it."

Edison chuckled and shook his head, "I must be dreaming, I was sure that I wasn't but I must be." He composed himself after a moment and took the tool and machine. "Very well Doctor Tyler, how do I find this time bubble machine." The Twelfth Doctor looked down at K-9,  
"Can you detect it K-9"  
"Affirmative Master." K-9 floated up from the floor about half a meter and swung around before floating back to the floor. "Follow me Mister Edison." Edison looked at the two Doctors who nodded, the Tenth Doctor gave him a grin.  
"Don't worry, K-9 will look after you." Edison nodded, slipping back into his calm daze before stepping out of the lab and following K-9.

The Tenth Doctor looked at his older counterpart, "And what do we do if Edison is taking out the machine?" The Twelfth Doctor threw the Tenth Doctor a very smug smirk that gave the Tenth Doctor a strong urge to strangle him but instead he huffed in frustration. "You need to locate the Master and make sure that he can't get off this planet." The Twelfth Doctor headed for the door,  
"And what are you going to do?" The Twelfth Doctor gave his younger self another smirk.  
"Have a word with the Black Guardian"  
"We shouldn't let him know you're here." The Tenth Doctor jumped forward and stood in front of his older self. "Who knows what he'd do then." The Twelfth Doctor merely smiled calmly.  
"Trust me, I've done this before. I'm you remember." The Tenth Doctor sighed and rolled back and forward on the balls and heels of his feet for a moment once his older self was gone before sighing.  
"Fine, I'll play your way." Running a hand through his hair he walked off in the opposite direction that the other Doctor had taken.

Black was the major theme of the room and the black banners showing war and acts of evil didn't help lighten the room up at all. The Twelfth Doctor looked around the room calmly and shrugged as a large black chair turned around. Cloaked in black the Black Guardian would have been invisible if not for his pale face. He glared at the twelfth Doctor and examined him carefully before his eyes widened. "You should not be here!" He stood and pushed his excess robes behind him, face wrinkled in raw rage. The Doctor merely calmly smirked, a picture of control in his dark, neat suit.  
"You're not playing by the rules Black Guardian so why should I?" His blue eyes cooled as his gaze fixed on the Black Guardian. "How did you put it on Rivto?" The Twelfth Doctor pressed his lips and tilted his head to the right as if thinking. "Oh yes, it was something like ▒you don't really care about anything Doctor. Without a home, without any friends or family you're drifting, nothing to really live for and you'd do anything to get something back. To bring back the person who somehow, through some miracle gave it meaning.' I believe is what you said." The Doctor fixed his cold blue gaze on him. "As you pointed out, I'd do anything to get her back." He took a few steps towards the Black Guardian, "As this continues you might want to remember that."

The Black Guardian sneered at the Twelfth Doctor who barely reacted but just stared at the Black Guardian, not flinching at the darkness of the evil beings eyes. "You can't kill me Doctor. My destruction even if it were possible would damage the very nature of the universe." The Doctor smirked again, tiny flecks of gold dancing in his blue eyes.  
"Guardian if you keep me from her I won't need you dead, I'll be too busy making you wish you were." He turned on his heel and walked towards the door, "My pain will be yours for the rest of my existence." The Black Guardian made no move to stop the Doctor as he left the room, his footfalls echoing in the outer hall.

Thomas Edison assured himself again that he was not in fact insane, the definition of insane was after all repeating an action and expecting different results. Right now, following the little machine he was not expecting anything, other than to wake up at some point. If nothing else the dream was providing him with some very interesting ideas. Beeping the machine drew his attention, "The machine causing the temporal disturbance is through here Mister Edison." Edison nodded and pulled out the small device and the tool that Doctor Tyler had given him. "Uh what if there is someone in there"  
"Negative Mister Edison, this unit detects no life readings in the vortex room." Edison shook his head and sighed,  
"Alright then, time to save the world I guess." He laughed and stepped up the door as it opened.  
"Negative Mister Edison, the time distortion poses only a minor threat to the whole of humanity but does present the possibility of altering the human time line."

Edison chose to ignore K-9's last statement and stepped into the room, the door closing behind him. Gaping he looked up at the massive machine. It was dark gray and twisted like a braid around itself, moving downwards from the ceiling towards a strange hole in the floor. Shaking, Edison looked down into it and saw only darkness with small specks of light and color. Stepping back he leaned against the wall gasping and trying to still his hands. After a long moment he looked around at the machine and slowly relaxed as he spotted a hole right next to the controls and what appeared to be wires.

Leaning over his controls, the Master smirked and chuckled as the readings for his newest invention came forth. Chuckling louder he stood and gave into the moment of self glorification. "Excellent." The Master murmured to himself smiling, his smile faltered when behind him he heard the Tenth Doctor.  
"Still congratulating yourself I see. I guess no matter what the body some things don't change." The Master sneered at the Tenth Doctor as he turned to face him.  
"So Doctor as usual you confront me to what is it this time... convince me to stop my machine." The Tenth Doctor paused as if thinking before nodding,  
"Yeah that would do it for me." The Master's eyes narrowed.  
"Very amusing Doctor but you can't stop the machine, everything in that tiny area will simply stand still and remain under my control"  
"But why Thomas Edison and Menlo Park, the man expanded on idea and inventions that were already there. His vanishing is a wound that time can heal without changing human history"  
"He has the segment Doctor." The Tenth Doctor raised his eyebrows. "The Black Guardian and I are going to ensure that evil has the Key to Time." He folded his hands in front of him while the Doctor's face shifted into serious planes.  
"This isn't you fight Master get out of here or you'll discover just how much the last hundred years has changed me." The Master smirked and his evil almost danced.  
"Very dark for you Doctor but an empty threat. You can't stop the machine and you can't risk getting close to it." The Tenth Doctor walked to the controls and picked up a small metal tool. Tossing it up and catching it, he looked back at the Master.  
"You don't really trust the Black Guardian so what is in it for you?" The Master considered the Doctor for a long moment.  
"Your regenerations." The Tenth Doctor chuckled,  
"That again?" The Master scowled at the Tenth Doctor.

They glared at each other in silence until the room shook, "What!?" The Master ignored the Doctor and looked to his controls, his eyes widening. He looked back to the Doctor when the Doctor's laughter filled the room. "And as usual you leave something critical unguarded." The Master looked back the Doctor. "You've reversed the time displacer, do you understand what you have done!?" The Tenth Doctor grinned and rocked on his feet.  
"Course, simple really, time is folding to erase the displacement on Earth." The Tenth Doctor looked down at his hands as they began to shimmer slightly. "And since I was pulled in here by that vortex, I get a ride back to my TARDIS." The Master ducked for cover as an explosion shook everything violently and the controls sparked. The laughter of the Doctor was the last thing he heard before the Time Lord vanished.

The Doctor whistled a little quick tune as he looked around Menlo Park, the humans were milling about as if nothing had happened. He chuckled and grinned, time had reset for the humans involved, good thing too a scientist tied to history knowing too much about future alien technology spelled problem down the time line. Pulling out the locator, the Doctor reminded himself of why he was here in the first place. Just quickly grab the segment and move along, K-9 was waiting in the TARDIS and his future self had vanished. Probably avoiding more questions, for the best really even if it was bloody annoying. He shoved his hand back into his pocket and paused for a long moment as his fingers clasped around something. Pressing his lips together in mild confusion, he pulled out a note and shook his head as he opened it.

Sorry for not staying about but you understand. You know who P.S. Check Edison's fountain pen

Returning the note to his pocket the Doctor shook his head and started for the main laboratory. Strolling through the door the Doctor ignored all the men who moved towards him and protested. Thomas Edison blinked at him in confusion when the Doctor stopped just short of him. "Uh can I help you sir"  
"Doctor Smith." The Doctor replied with a grin. "May I borrow your pen Mister Edison?" Edison blinked in confusion and his employees looked on in confusion. Edison pulled out the pen and watched as the Doctor held it near the locator. Hearing the signal jump high he grinned and nodded to Edison. "Thanks." Then he turned on his heel and left the lab leaving a very confused Edison in his wake. Hurrying back to the TARDIS before Edison could demand his pen, the Doctor shut the door. Putting the pen on the controls he touched the locator the black fountain pen and grinned as the pen shifted into another segment. "That's brilliant." Pushing the locator into its place on the controls the Doctor blinked in surprise and looked down at K-9. "Guess what boy, we're going to London, Earth 2303."

Coming Soon: Fortune Not Known 


	9. Fortune Not Known

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Nine: Fortune Not Known

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: Review!!!

Everything was silent and still in the old building, everything was boarded up with wood and metal and some special alloys in an attempt to protect the treasures inside. All throughout the large halls, cases filled with objects from the history of Earth were covered with heavy cloths. Suddenly a breeze picked up and the material rippled as the air vibrated more rapidly. A whirling sound echoed in the large halls off the old stone tiles and walls as the TARDIS materialized. Grinning the Doctor stepped out only to look around in surprise and frown before leaning his head back as K-9 rolled out. "Oh wait that's right 2303, the British Museum was closed and locked up during World War Four, I can't believe I forgot that." He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around, "Still K-9 we've got the whole place to ourselves." He felt around in his pockets, searching for the locator, "That's the problem with having pockets that are bigger on the inside. It can be impossible to find something"  
"Incorrect Master, while your pocket space is trans-dimensional, it is not unlimited." The Doctor rolled his eyes at his metal dog.  
"You got along a lot better with my Twelfth self K-9"  
"Master's future self is more logical." The Doctor rolled his eyes, "I rarely can stand myself." He paused and shook his head, "Who knows how humans put up with me." "Unknown Master."

The Doctor kept himself from pouting as he pulled out the locator and picked a direction. "At least they have this place better organized in the 24th century." The Doctor muttered to himself as he wandering through the various rooms. Walking through the halls of the British Museum he enjoyed the stillness and took in the few pieces that were not covered. Still the British Museum standing empty bothered him on a few different levels as he thought of the last time he had been here. The memory of his brief time as a stone statue and Rose's role in saving him from his stony fate brought a smile to his face. He shook his head in amusement as he wandered into the Department of Egypt and the Sudan. Most of the statues remained uncovered but he noted that some were missing, looted or stored away by the government. Save the most valuable of them should anything happen, but the Doctor knew that Museum wouldn't be bombed in this world war. "In the end we found out that the statue was carved by me." The Doctor paused and smiled in the halls, savoring the memory. "My lucky charm Rose." After a long moment the Doctor turned from the Egyptian artifact he had been examining to head back to the main hall to head off to another department.

"Master, the locator." The Doctor stopped in his tracks as he also noted the locator giving off the gentle beeping.  
"Brilliant." The Doctor began slowly waving the locator about to find the right direction. "I bet I look silly waving this about." He glanced at K-9, "And no comments K-9." The Doctor frowned as the locator failed to indicate a stronger reading from any direction. Sighing he dropped his arm to his side only to nearly jump out of his skin when the locator's beeping picked up speed. The Doctor touched the locator to one of the tiles but chuckled when nothing happened. "It's under us K-9." Looking up at K-9 the Doctor asked,  
"I don't suppose my very logical future self put the layout of the British Museum in that data bank of yours"  
"Affirmative Master." The Doctor grinned and stood back up as K-9 spun around and headed in the opposite direction.  
"Good dog."

The underground vaults were filled with the large boxes safeguarding the treasures of the world, even if it was at war with itself. Shaking his head, the Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver to use as a torch, as much he adores the human race there are times when he completely fails to understand them. Stepping through the narrow pathway left between the crates, the Doctor turned to look at K-9. He laughed in awe and shock when the small machine rose into the air and flew towards him. "K-9!?" He turned to the dog and pulled on his glasses to examine the underside of K-9, "You've got a built in hover pad, I'm impressed." K-9 whirled is ears,  
"Correct Doctor-Master but use of my hover pad drains me rapidly, might I suggest that we move on to an area I can resume my normal transport methods." The Doctor nodded, pulling off his glasses but still smiling.  
"Right you are K-9." The Doctor didn't even try to contain his smile as he continued forward through the storage, following the tracer. 

The Doctor kept one hand busy with the locator and the other busy with the sonic screwdriver. Sighing loudly, he kept twisting and turning around boxes to follow the signal. K-9 kept close behind him, setting down on the floor when the position of the boxes permitted. They reached a wall of crates and the Doctor sighed. "Bloke who stacked these here was a nutter. I mean really who puts up crates of priceless objects of Earth history to use as a wall." He sighed and pocketed the locator before testing the stability of the crates, "Hope there's nothing in these that I liked." The Doctor pulled himself over the shortest crate, dropping down on the other side. He was at least pleased to see a bit more room on the other side. The Doctor turned and watched with a nearly distasteful look on his face as K-9 floated over the crates and set down gently. Dusting himself off the Doctor looked down at the little machine. "You're pleased with yourself right now aren't you K-9." He couldn't help but smile a little as the dog's ears revolved ans his tail wagged.  
"Affirmative."

Pulling the locator back out the Doctor turned to follow the signal into another room. "Doesn't this place ever end." He sighed, "Don't answer that K-9." The Doctor strode forward more eagerly, grateful for both the wider walking space and the stronger locator signal. After a few minutes of walking the locator began to let out a continuos buzzing sound. "Got ya!" The Doctor laughed, turning to a crate about as tall as himself. "Alright K-9!" The Doctor set the locator down and switched his sonic screwdriver to his right hand. Checking the crate, the Doctor was pleased to see that he could remove one side of it without much event. "Stay back K-9, don't want you flattened by a box." The tin dog beeped at the Doctor but rolled back, the Doctor smirked and went to work on the side of the box. "I've got to say K-9," The Doctor said as three nails dropped to the floor, "This seems a bit too easy to me." More nails dropped to the floor before the caught the lid and shifted it to the side. Pocketing the sonic screwdriver, he reclaimed the locator for the crate top he had left it on. Pushing the protective material aside the Doctor grinned until he gasped.

"Master?" K-9 asked as the Doctor fell silent, his mouth hanging open. A soft clang marked the sonic screwdriver falling to the floor from the Doctor's limp hands. "Master? Silence is unusual for you? Are you alright?" The Doctor didn't respond to K-9's voice but kept staring inside the box, worrying the computer further. "Master?!" The machine asked loudly finally snapping the Time Lord out his shock. "I'm fine K-9." He looked down at the machine kindly before looking back into the box, an emotional grin spreading over his face. "I'm brilliant." After a moment the Doctor knelt down to retrieve the sonic screwdriver, his eyes only flickering away from the hidden treasure. "Master what is it?" The Doctor grinned as he began taking the box apart nail by nail. "The most beautiful piece of art in the history of the universe." He didn't say anything else to K-9 until the last side came down and he pulled away all the protective wrap leaving a statute of a young woman standing on what remained of the bottom of the box. 

K-9 examined the statue which he estimated to be several thousand years old, the young woman had her hair piled atop her head and was dressed in classic Greek and Roman style. The Doctor grinned and gently reached out to touch the statue's face with his finger tips. "My Goddess of Fortune, my Fortuna." He was silent again for a long moment, studying the time worn face of the statue before looking at K-9. "In the year 2007 Rose and I came here when her friend Mickey called, see the lad had found a statue of Rose." He grinned and ran a hand over the statue's face again before stepping around it to see it from all sides. "This statue in fact, perfect to the last detail. Anyway long story short people were being turned to stone so when Rose and I stopped it I carved this statue to prevent a paradox." The Doctor's grin broadened. "My best work in fact, a true masterpiece." K-9 rolled forward and raised his head to look at the statue.  
"Rose Tyler Master?" The Doctor grinned,  
"Yeah," He looked at it long and hard before picking up the locator. "I can't believe that this statue is the segment." The Doctor paused and muttered, more to himself than K-9. "Really makes me wonder about it humans don't have something there with their ideas of fate after all." After another long look at the statue the Doctor put the locator to it, smiling as the statue of Fortuna shifted in a ray of light into the fourth segment." Bending over the Doctor picked it up, still smiling. K-9 rolled up to him and he looked at the tin dog. "Well boy four down, two to go." 

Up Next: Angel of the Past I 


	10. Angel of the Past I

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Ten: Angel of the Past I

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: I know it has been awhile but after the brilliance of the last two episodes my muse left me for a time. I hope you all enjoy this and remember the end is drawing near, this is segment number five so review!

The Doctor hummed a little tune, a combination of several really, a little bit of Mozart and Beethoven, a dash of Beetles and Elvis and a tad of something else, as he moved around the console. K-9 turned his head to watch his Master as he paced, their destination was programed in but the Doctor hadn't seen fit to move on yet. "What are the chances that we'll run into her K-9?" It was a rectorial question but still the computer tried to answer.  
"Unable to say Master, unknown population and exact location of fifth segment is unknown." The Doctor sighed and dropped into the chair, sitting in silence for a moment. With another sigh he stood and headed for the wardrobe, K-9 followed behind him with a few quiet beeps.

The Doctor grinned as he picked up the familiar multi-colored patchwork coat. Holding it up he shuddered and laughed, "Well maybe she had a point when she mocked my fashion sense, funny to think I thought it was brilliant." K-9 didn't respond as the Doctor tossed the coat away and straightened the brown suit, he once again wore. After finding the last segment in the statue of Rose he had carved he had put away the blue suit. Galliferian morning colors didn't really suit him anymore, not with the mission he was on. The Doctor looked at himself in the mirror and slowly smiled. "Even if we run into her, I doubt that she would recognize me." He grinned, "Who'd have thought that loud mouthed girl would end up a queen of an alien planet." Shaking himself out of his thoughts the Doctor gave one last glance at the loud old coat before leaving the wardrobe and heading back to the controls. "Time to get the fifth segment!"

The TARDIS materialized without great event on a small wooden bridge over a peaceful blue pond. Stepping out, the Doctor looked around in mild surprise, a garden with blossoming trees and flowers met his eyes. "Not bad, maybe she's been good for this place after all." His expectations for the planet Thoros Alpha had been somewhat more... destructive given his last encounter with Yrcanos. K-9 rolled out of the TARDIS behind him as the Doctor pulled out the locator. He grinned as he gave off a faint beeping towards the east where he could see several large buildings. Locking up the TARDIS he called for K-9 to follow him as he set off towards the town. 

A large white building, dominated one side of the city, the style was very similar to Earth oriental architecture. The black trim of the roof and columns made it an imposing sight and the Doctor grinned glancing around the large square. He was drawing quiet a bit of attention in his pinstripe suit and overcoat in the busy market square filled with people in brightly colored robes. The merchants and customers sent quick glances his way but looked away the moment he looked in their direction. "Not many visitors K-9." The Doctor commented, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Pity really." Pulling the locator out from his pocket he again fixed it on the signal and started walking through the marketplace, thinking what an odd sight he was in the alien marketplace, following a stick and being followed by a little tin dog. 

His helmet and mask hid most of his face as was the ceremonial tradition as he knelt humbly before the thrones. "My King and Queen, news of a strange man has been reported to the guards. He has with him a strange machine that speaks as if it were alive." The king sat up straight, excited by the news but the queen quickly grabbed his arm.  
"Now wait just a moment!" She turned her aged face to the guard, "What else can you tell us? Has he harmed anyone"  
"No my queen." She nodded and looked at her husband sternly.  
"Then I suggest we talk to him peacefully." Her stood gracefully, her manner indeed that of a queen as she smiled affectionately over at her husband. "You are getting too old to fight everyone that crosses your path"  
"I am never too old to fight!" He stood but paused as his bones protested the statement. He white hair and beard gave away his true age. The queen, also now elderly but still lovely smiled wider and shook her head.  
"If this stranger desires a fight, he can fight Kelaron." The king folded his arms and frowned deeply. "Don't pout Yrcanos"  
"You take away all my fun Peri."

The Doctor wasn't surprised to see the lines of guards coming towards him, he plastered on one of his famous grins and shoved his hands in his pockets, making sure the locator was safe. One of the guards stepped forward, "The King and Queen would like to see you"  
"Who are the King and Queen nowadays?" The guard blinked in surprise.  
"King Yrcanos, king of Krontep and his Queen Perpugilliam." The Doctor grinned.  
"Then I did get the timing right after all. Brilliant." He nodded very pleased with himself. "Very well then, take me to your leaders."

The Doctor took note of everything as he was lead up to the large building, which he had amused to be the place of government. He had hoped when he landed on Thoros Alpha that Peri was still alive, he hoped more that she was happy. The end of their time together had been nightmarish for her and him, given the trial that followed and her believed death. He chuckled to himself, he didn't often run into former companions but the last few years had proved interesting with Sarah Jane Smith and now Peri Brown. The guards lead the Doctor into a large throne room and he blinked in mild surprise when he looked up on the thrones. Yrcanos had not aged well, the man's history as a warlord clearly showed but his posture still was aggressive and demanding of respect. He still wore his white robes but the Doctor noted a sword no longer hung from his side. Next to him, in her own throne sat a much older Peri but she still looked the same to him. He grey hair was pulled back in an elegant bun with carved combs holding it in place and she wore long pink robes that he smiled at. He supposed she still followed the fashions although being Queen, she probably set them now. 

Peri frowned at the stranger and noted his clothing. It was most certainly Earthling, she had seen her father and step father wear similar suits many times. She glanced at his shoes and smiled, the trainers were most certainly from Earth. Looking back at him she examined him carefully, noting the sparkle of amusement in his eyes noticing her looks. A smile spread over her face, "I know of only one person who could come to my planet wearing late twentieth century clothing." He grinned widely,  
"Actually it is the twenty first century now Peri, oh they made such a big deal out of it. Honestly you'd have thought the planet was turning a thousand years old." Peri smiled, her eyes growing slightly teary as she stood up and walked down the stairs towards him. She stopped only a foot or so away from him. He gave her a gentle smile, "Hello Peri"  
"Hello Doctor." Peri replied before stepping closer and hugging him. 

The guards looked on in confusion, not unlike Yrcanos who was trying to decide how the young stranger could possibly be the Doctor. Peri released him, stepped back and then slapped him harshly across the face. The Doctor stepped back and touched his cheek gently. "What was that for"  
"That was for leaving me here without a proper goodbye." The Doctor blinked at her.  
"Almost one thousand years of time and space and suddenly in the last five women decide I'm a prime man for slapping." He straightened up, "And for what it is worth, for a long time I thought you were dead." Peri smirked at him.  
"Not dead, a queen, a mother, a grand mother and a great grand mother but not dead." The Doctor grinned,  
"A great grand mother." Peri nodded and she too grinned.  
"Yes." She paused and looked him over, "At least regeneration straightened out your fashion sense." "It wasn't that bad"  
"Yes Doctor it was." Peri looked at him and shook her head, "It really was that bad."

King Yrcanos looked carefully over the table at the Doctor, he was on his knees like the Doctor and Peri around a small table, laden with food. "So you can change your appearance?" Yrcanos tried to clarify. The Doctor nodded with a smile,  
"Only a limited number of times but yes." Peri nodded, remembering when the Doctor regenerated to save her life. "So Doctor what brings you to our planet?" Peri asked with a smile. The Doctor pulled out the locator and handed it over to her.  
"I'm looking for an object, I don't know what it looks like or anything about it really but this detects it for me." Peri frowned at the locator and handed it back to him.  
"Is it a weapon?" The Doctor shook his head,  
"No nothing like that but it is a part of a very powerful device that I have to assemble."

"Why?" Peri asked and the Doctor grinned,  
"Why else Peri, to save the universe." Peri shook her head but smiled.  
"Then perhaps my grandsons Keleron and Timet can assist you. They know the area very well." The Doctor smiled and shook his head.  
"The idea of you with grandchildren and great grandchildren still amazes me." Peri didn't say anything but continued eating her meal for a moment.  
"So how about you, have you been back to Gallifrey recently?" 

The Doctor shook his head and didn't add anything further, Peri noted the change in his stance, he tensed up as if pulling a shield up around herself. Sensing that she had stumbled on something painful she turned to her husband. "Shall we send the Doctor out with them and some guards in the morning?" Yrcanos nodded and took a deep drink of his wine.  
"Indeed Doctor tonight rest and tomorrow conquer!" The Doctor chuckled,  
"I see aging hasn't changed him much." Peri laughed. "No I'm afraid not Doctor."

The Doctor starred out the window of his guest room, at the stars above. As a Time Lord he very rarely slept and usually when he did, the results were only nightmares. Still the habit of lurking while companions slept remained, he had considered returning to the TARDIS for the night but decided to stay. Peri still seemed torn on what to think of him, the spit fire American that he had met all those years ago. She had asked to come with him, to travel before returning to school on Earth but he never managed to get her back there. Instead she had stayed through his regeneration and a few more years with him until he was tricked into thinking she was dead and he left her here. It seemed to be a habit of his, one of the reasons he had needed so badly to say goodbye to Rose and that had just made it harder. He sighed and sat down in one of the chairs and lifted his feet up onto a table, leaning back to watch a meteor. 

Suddenly three armed guards entered the room, lowering their spears to his chest. "Hello, what brought this on"  
"You are under arrest for the murder of the king and the kidnaping of the queen." The Doctor blinked.  
"What happened to Peri?! Yrcanos was murdered!?" A young man with dark brown hair and very familiar brown eyes entered the room and glared at the Doctor.  
"What have you done with my grandmother?" The Doctor stood up slowly and raised his hands.  
"I haven't seen her since dinner? What happened to Yrcanos?" The young man pulled his sword and lifted it to the Doctor's neck.  
"My grandfather is murdered and she vanishes just as you arrive!?" He scowled, "I am Prince Timet and I am not so easily fooled." He looked to the guards, "Take him to the dungeon!"

The Doctor grimaced as he was thrown into on of the cells, it was a five foot drop into two feet of water. Sputtering he climbed on top of rock, to escape the water and stood to look up at Prince Timet. "I did not harm your grandmother, she was a friend of mine as was your grandfather" Timet scowled and glared darkly at him. "I have often heard of the Doctor from my grandmother but I will not allow this to pass." Timet scowled down at him, "My father Prince Opein will take the throne at dawn and you will die for treason."

Coming Soon: Angel of the Past II 


	11. Angel of the Past II

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Eleven: Angel of the Past II

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: Review! Review!

The Doctor sighed deeply and leant into his hands, things fell apart around him. Now he had lead his companion death to Peri's doorstep. He had never been over fond of the war like Yrcanos but he adored Peri and treated her right, his death weighted on him. Taking a deep breath to fill his lungs he stood back up and looked around, putting on his glasses. He wasn't the murderer which meant that someone else had killed Yrcanos and kidnaped Peri, he wasn't going to leave her again. Digging into his pocket the Doctor pulled out K-9's whistle and gave it a blow. He smiled as he pocketed it, already hearing the low crunching of the gravel outside the window. Laughing he grinned at K-9 as the robot rolled into view. "K-9 blast out the bars please. We need to find Peri"  
"Affirmative Master, stay back." The small lazer lifted out of K-9's mechanical noise and fired a low blast at the bars one at a time, leaving a small hole in the wall. The Doctor nodded in approval and replaced his glasses in his coat pocket before wading through the water to the wall. K-9 rolled back to allow the Doctor to pull himself and crawl out. "Good dog." The Doctor said before he dashed to the palace wall away from any guards. He motioned for K-9 to follow after a moment, "Okay boy, I need another hole." K-9 blasted through the wall with a low rumble. Looking around with concern, the Doctor could see a few guards moving to investigate. "Come on K-9." He dashed through the hole and took off at the dead run. Behind him K-9 rolled for a bit before stopping, he was still for a moment before he slowly lifted into the air. The guards began to move around him, confusion on their faces as the dog levitated. After a moment a rocket pack flipped up and K-9 blasted forward leaving the shocked guards in his wake. The Doctor laughed excited as K-9 caught up with him and they rushed into the forest.

The Doctor doubled back with K-9 so they could reach the TARDIS, he sighed in relief when he saw that it was still sitting on the bridge. The two large moons gave him enough light to verify that no guards were posted, strange but he wasn't going to argue. Tentatively the Doctor pulled out his key and neared the TARDIS. A snap of a twig behind him made him spin, pulling his sonic screwdriver. He froze as his eyes met Peri's scared ones, he lowered the sonic screwdriver and sighed in relief. "You're alright." Peri nodded and stepped back, pulling a bundle from behind some flower bushes. The Doctor blinked realizing it was an infant, after a moment he looked back up at Peri's face. "Please Doctor, help us." He nodded and opened the door, allowing K-9 and Peri to enter the TARDIS before him. He looked around again before entering the TARDIS himself.

Eyes wide, Peri turned slowly to look at the TARDIS. The Doctor stepped inside and shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for his former companion to say something. Looking back at the Doctor Peri forced a smile, "It's changed... like you." The Doctor nodded,  
"Things have a way of doing that." Peri nodded, tears now beginning to appear in her eyes. The Doctor guided her to the chair and gave her moment to collect herself before gently calling her name, "Peri?" She nodded, took a deep breath and looked up at the Doctor. "This is my great grandson Yrcan." The Doctor smiled down at the small baby boy, it grinned at him. He looked back at Peri after a moment,  
"Peri Yrcanos"  
"I know." She sniffed and cut him off. "It gets worse"  
"Yeah they think I did it and kidnaped you." Peri shook her head,  
"My grandson Timet is behind it." She paused disbelieving, shanking her head, "He was such a good boy and I don't understand it but you see Doctor my son Opein is a very good man but he was in an accident two years ago, he lost his mind he's always screaming and rambling"  
"Ah so when he is crowned, Timet pulls the strings." Peri nodded and looked down at Yrcan.  
"My daughter Mellin, she died five years ago, her son Keleron is brave and loyal but Timet is very smart.." She rocked her great grandson. "Yrcan is Keleron's son, I couldn't risk Timet using him against his brother." The Doctor nodded. "Can't you just march in there and tell the court." Peri was silent.  
"It's my grandson. I can't turn my back on that. I don't even understand how he can do this." The Doctor stilled at this and leaned back against the controls.  
"I know the feeling." Peri looked up at him in surprise. "I was a grandparent once." Peri was still but then nodded,  
"I always knew there was a lot more to you, although that fact is a bit of a surprise." The Doctor smiled at her and they chuckled.

Yrcan gave a loud laugh breaking them out of the past, "Still you can't just vanish and leave." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, "You asked me for help Peri, what do you need me to do"  
"I need you to help me take back the palace without violence." She stilled, "I won't hurt my own grandchild"  
"Even to save the other?" The Doctor asked with raised eyebrows, he nodded at Yrcan, "Even to save a great grandchild?" When she said nothing the Doctor continued, "You may have to make the choice Peri. Even if Timet lives he's a traitor and will spend his life in prison, he betrayed his family and his planet." Tears escaped Peri's eyes.  
"I think you've gotten meaner Doctor." The Doctor sighed and returned his hands to his pockets,  
"I've gotten older Peri. To me it's been almost two hundred years since I last saw you." Peri was starring at the bundle in her arms. The Doctor tossed his overcoat onto the railing and checked the scanner, avoiding looking back at his former companion.  
"I can't imagine you with a family." The Doctor was quiet,  
"It was a very long time ago..." He tailed off, "And things on my planet were very different, our families weren't like yours." His eyes glazed over as he fiddled with some controls, "Time Lords don't have children or families like humans. No husband and wife with 2.5 kids, nope Time Lords don't waste time on such things." Peri didn't ask, she could feel that this Doctor was completely different from her doctor. "Still I'm not without..." He shook his head and continued tinkering. Peri looked around the TARDIS,  
"Don't you have anyone with you Doctor? Any companions or are you traveling alone"  
"I've got K-9." The Doctor said nodding his head towards the robot dog. Peri frowned,  
"Is it programed to tell you how impressive you are?"

The Doctor gave Peri a confused look, causing her to laugh despite her situation and shake her head. "Honestly, half the time I was so sure you kept me around just to show off to." The Doctor slowly smiled at him, a warm smile but shook his head,  
"Nay Peri, I kept you around for other reasons. We had some fun times." Peri smiled softly.  
"That's nice to hear Doctor." He looked over at her, confusion on his face.  
"What's wrong Peri?" He paused, "I mean apart from your family?" Peri snorted, half a laugh and half a sob.  
"Traveling with you Doctor, it wears on a person. Two three years seems to the limit before we all just want to go home to where things are safe, where we have control over what happens to us and you still seem blind to it." Turning from her, the Doctor used the scanner to check the area for guards again and sighed,  
"Not everyone." He shook his head and stood up straight again, "So Queen Peri, what's the plan?"

The echo was almost unbearable to Timet as his brown boots clicked on the great stone floors of the palace. It was painfully silent, brown his eyes darted about searching for signs of anyone as he pushed his long black locks out of his face. He stumbled for a moment but caught himself on the wall, shaking his head and trying to regain his pose. Standing up straight again he breathed deep and shivered before falling back against the wall again. He reached up to his neck and scratched at it desperately until his head fell to the side. A patch of skin on his neck shivered and rose into a bump before shifted up to his head. His eyes flashed open and darkened for a moment. Timet straightened himself up just as three guards came around the corner holding his younger cousin, he smirked as Keleron struggled. His cousin froze and glared up at him, "Timet what have you done?" Timet said nothing but smiled at the guards who grinned darkly. Keleron looked back at the guards, "What has happened to all of you?" Timet rubbed his neck and smiled,  
"We've come to some conclusions Keleron." He started walking away, "One's you aren't going to like." He turned around a corner and passed a few of the guards, these guards bowed gracefully to him, blind to the evil before them. 

Timet paused before a large metal door, the designs engraved in the ten meter tall double doors depicted the history of the third age of Thoros Alpha. Reaching up he pushed one of the doors open and stepped into one of the royal bedchambers. Not far from him Prince Opein lay stretched out over pillows moaning and twisting about. A lose cuff on his right wrist kept him from moving too far from his position. He looked up suddenly at Timet, his wild black hair falling over his sunken face, he had the look of a starving man yet he sat next to a small table of food. Timet bent over and picked up a fruit from one of the bowls, rolling the purple sphere around in his hand he commented, "You really should eat Father." Opein looked up at Timet and shook his head,  
"You can't, you can't Opein knows." He nodded and rattled his cuff, "Opein knows"  
"Yes." Timet commented with a nod, "Yes I suppose you do know." He bit into the fruit, savoring the taste for a long moment as he crewed slowly. Nodding it glanced at the fruit and then looked back at Opein, "But all the knowledge in the universe won't stop us now." He chuckled, "Besides how do you warn people who won't listen"  
"Mother-" Opein began with a sob, "Mother will"  
"Queen Peri is gone." Opein blinked as Timet leaned down until he was just a breath away from his face, "And your father has joined the dearly departed." Opein's eyes cleared for a moment as anger flashed in them.  
"You will be stopped." He hissed, "You will be stopped." Timet straightened up and laughed, turning he walked out the door.  
"There is no one on this planet who can stop us. Not even that hero of your mother's, the Doctor."

The lower levels of the palace were dark and dank, just the place for a unseen landing. A whirling nosie echoed off the stone walls as the TARDIS materialized. Moments later the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, pulling on his brown overcoat before turning to help Peri out. "Are you sure about this Peri?" Peri nodded firmly,  
"Then we'd better find someone safe to leave Yrcan with." She looked down at her sleeping great grandchild, "Where is his mother?" The Doctor asked suddenly, "She'd be the best person to look after him." Nodding Peri smiled a bit, at a happy memory.  
"Teling is three hundred kilometers from here Doctor, she's an ambassador of the royal family and left a week ago." The Doctor nodded,  
"Well then, anyone else trustworthy Peri." He shoved his hands in his pockets, "Because as I'm sure you remember how dangerous life with me is." He said it with a smile that didn't quiet reach his eyes. Peri nodded and followed him out one of the doors,  
"I remember Doctor." Peri paused and frowned, "Is that why you're traveling alone Doctor?" He turned to look at her, "Did you lose a companion?" The Doctor didn't answer,  
"No time for this Peri, come on we've got to save your planet."

Coming Soon: Angel of the Past III 


	12. Angel of the Past III

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Twelve: Angel of the Past III

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: Review or I'll send K-9 Mark V after you!!

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair as he paced in place waiting for Peri to declare it safe for him to come out of the small servant storage room he was hiding in. Rocking on his feet he muttered under his breath, next to him K-9 watched him move around the small room where they waited. "Master?" The Doctor paused and sighed,  
"Yes K-9"  
"Master's former companion Peri returning." The Doctor spun to the door to see Peri slipping back into the room, holding up her long pink train in her right hand.  
"I gave Yrcan to one of the servant girls, she has left the palace with him. She'll keep him safe in the city." The Doctor nodded satisfied.  
"Good now any thoughts where to start looking?" He continued, "When did things start going bad in the royal family?" Peri paused, opening and closing a fist to calm down.  
"Today..." She began before shaking her head, "No no it all started when Opein lost his mind." The Doctor nodded and stepped forward, a familiar glint in his eyes.  
"Then we need to see him." Peri shook her head as she bit her lower lip gently,  
"Doctor my son can't tell you anything." The Doctor stopped her from finishing.  
"You'd be surprised Peri." He motioned towards the door, "Shall we?" Sighing in acceptance that she wouldn't change his mind Peri nodded and lead the Doctor out into the main corridor. They moved silently through the halls, Peri was still surprisingly quick on her feet and had lost her clumsiness over the years. 

Timet ran his fingers over the surface of the large glass orb which floated in front of him on a large platform. Inside the orb tiny blue tadpole-like creatures swam about in a thick silver liquid. Rubbing his neck he hissed, clenching his hands into fists as he looked up at the high dark ceiling. He turned to look at one of the large guards who stood near the chained up Keleron, "Is he awake yet"  
"No Prince Timer I mean Lord Mercar"  
"Down here you can use my proper name." Lord Mercar adjusted the collar of his shirt. "How soon will he be awake"  
"Within the hour sir." The guard answered looking at Keleron. Lord Mercar smiled and pressed his fingers to the glass again.  
"Good, the little ones are waiting for a good body, they are so tried of waiting here underground."

Peri hesitated when the Doctor and herself reached a large set of doors but the Doctor stepped around her, pushing one of the open enough to peek through. Seeing no guards he entered and pulled Peri into the room before turning to look at the man chained in front of him. Opein looked up at them, his eyes cleared briefly as they settled on Peri and he smiled warmly. "Mother." Peri's eyes teared up but she moved towards him calmly and sat down next to him.  
"How are you today Opein"  
"Is father dead?" Peri blinked in surprise and the Doctor stepped towards them interested.  
"Who told you that Opein?" The Doctor asked calmly as he crouched down to be at eye level with Opein. "The dark one inside my son"  
"Timet"  
"No Timet is overtaken. The dark one controls now, controls everything and will destroy it all."

Peri shook her head and touched her son's arm gently, "Timet is your son, you shouldn't talk about him that way"  
"Peri back up a bit." Peri blinked up at the Doctor who knelt right in front of Opein. "Give me some space." Slowly Peri obeyed and backed up but kept a close eye on her son. "Opein look at me." The Doctor looked straight into the man's eyes and placed his hands against his head, "Go back Opein, go back to the day of the accident." Opein's eyes widened as he stared at the Doctor and shuddered. "Tell me Opein what happened"  
"A ship landed in the woods, I was out hunting." Opein shuddered but the Doctor held onto him tightly. "Then these creatures slid from it, they were these tiny slugs. One of them tried to take over me." Opein reached up to his neck, "Died trying but it's still in me, still part of me, letting me see them in my world and driving me mad." Peri covered her mouth in horror but didn't move. "Then I saw then here a few months back and then..." Opein trailed off and some tears slid from his eyes. "My son... they took my son." Peri fell back against the wall, crying but trying to keep quiet. The Doctor looked back her, his eyes softening.

"Do you know what they are?" The Doctor asked Opein quietly.  
"The dark ones call themselves the Setics." Peri noticed the Doctor's mouth tightening and his posture changing as tension rose in the room.  
"Opein, do you know their plan?" Opein nodded as he shivered violently, drawing Peri to his side. The Doctor glanced at her as she took her son's hand.  
"Take over the throne and make home new world for them, take people as hosts." Nodding the Doctor pulled his hands away.  
"Thank you Opein." He stepped back to let Peri hug her son and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, he shined it on Opein's neck and nodded.  
"There are still traces of Setics in him, that explains the madness." Replacing the sonic screwdriver in his coat pocket the Doctor turned sharply and walked out the door without saying a word. Peri stared after him for a long moment before looking at her son, kissing his head gently she whispered,  
"I'll be back my darling."

Peri followed the Doctor down the main hall, "What are you looking for"  
"Timet." The tone of his voice made Peri shiver, "I need to talk to him. K-9 can you track him"  
"Possible reading on Prince Timet south east Master." The robot dog replied from beside the Doctor. "Also picking up traces of seticon." The Doctor stopped,  
"Seticon? Here?" "Affirmative master." The Doctor knelt down and opened a side panel on K-9 to see the scan. He frowned and nodded before standing up again. "Show me K-9"  
"What's seticon Doctor?" Peri asked catching up with him.  
"Seticon is a chemical only found on the home world of the Setics, hence the name. It's the compound they grown in, without it the eggs die"  
"So what exactly are they and how can we stop them"  
"Me, Peri not we." The Doctor turned to her and looked down at her, "Go stay with your son K-9 and I will handle this." She opened her mouth to argue. "Peri I can't lose anyone else." Something in his eyes silence the words on Peri's tongue and instead she nodded. The Doctor nodded to her and turned to follow K-9.

Entering another elegant room, the Doctor raised an eyebrow as he looked around. He was guessing it was Timet's room judging from the decorating but he shrugged off examining it to keep following K-9 until the dog stopped in front of a wall hanging. Pulling it aside the Doctor laughed and grinned, "Brilliant a secret passage, it's been awhile." He stepped down the first few stairs and looked back to see K-9 using his hover pad to float behind him. Grinning the Doctor shook his head and proceeded down the stairs.

The Doctor paused at the end of the stairs, favoring to listen in on the muttering he could hear from his position. He motioned for K-9 to land just in front of him on the flat floor. Slowly the Doctor moved forward, staying in the shadows until he could see the entire area. He was on an upper balcony looking over a lower section where Timet and a guard stood surrounded by tables of test tubes and other equipment. Another man, Prince Keleron he guessed based on the clothing was chained to a wall next to them. What really got the Doctor's attention however was the very large orb in the center of the room. "Is he awake yet?" "Yes Lord Mercar he's waking up." The Doctor's eyes flew to Keleron who groaned before looking around the room, he blinked in surprise but then began to violently struggle against the chains. Lord Mercar grinned and turned to the orb, he picked but a glove of sorts from the table. It was large and made out of a solid silver metal, putting it on Mercar smirked before thrusting his hand through the glass and into the liquid. One of the small aliens rushed into his hand and he then pulled it out, leaving the glass unharmed.

The tiny creature splashed about in the cupped glove as Mercar walked towards Keleron. Pulling out the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor moved down the stairs quickly as both the guard and Mercar turned their backs. Using the screwdriver the Doctor shorted out their stabilizing mechanism. He jumped back as sparks went flying and grinned as they turned around, Mercar still holding the splashing Setic. "Hello there Mercar wasn't it, I'm the Doctor." Mercar's eyes widened slightly causing the Doctor to grin even bigger, "You've heard of me then, I'm flattered. Now judging by the look of things you landed here, tried to take over Prince Opein, failed miserably I might add but were able to take over Prince Timet. From inside the palace you are slowly turning the native population into hosts as more Setics mature. In the end you take over the throne and slowly the rest of the planet." The Doctor paused here, "What I don't get is why Thoros Alpha not much compared to Seticia." Mercar raised his chin a little, regarding the Doctor carefully.  
"So what now I'm supposed to lay out the entire plan so you can stop us"  
"No." The Doctor said as his face tightened in anger, "You're supposed to leave those bodies and leave. You've already hurt a friend of mine, I won't let you cause more damage." The Doctor's face was devoid of any expression at all. "If you don't then what I do to stop you is your fault."

Mercar raised an eyebrow and walked up to the orb, replacing the tiny alien before dropping the glove next to his communicator. "There was a war Doctor and we lost." He motioned to the tank. "Our rebellion against the government failed so we ran, from this world we can take back our home world"  
"At the cost of another." Mercar scoffed at the Doctor folding his arms. "World's like this are all over, you should know that." The Doctor didn't say anything but instead stepped a little bit closer to Mercar.  
"Leave now or all of you die." Mercar laughed,  
"Hardly the hero Timet grew up hearing about." The Doctor's face did not change.  
"I'm too old for mercy now Mercar. Leave"  
"No Doctor I don't think so"  
"Master hostile units approaching from behind you."

The warning from K-9 was not soon enough as the Doctor felt two pairs of hands grab him tightly and felt the pressure of a weapon against his back. K-9 rolled to the edge of the stairs and lifted off just as more guards came down the secret passage stairs, these guards lead by Peri who was clinging to the arm of her son Opein. "Mercar stop this now." The Doctor hissed to the alien possessing Timet.  
"Timet?!" Peri yelled from the balcony as the guards took their positions around her and the crown prince. She shook her head as her eyes fell on Keleron, trying to hide her fear. "Release my grandsons and leave my planet at once." Mercar frowned as he surveryed the six guards.  
"The advantage is still mine Queen Peri I have two hostages that you won't risk any harm coming to not to mention this body." He smirked, "I still hold the cards"  
"Not really." The Doctor chuckled drawing back Mercar's attention. "You're kind isn't really designed for possession which is why it failed with Opein. I'm going to guess a genetic modifier, just rewrote a tiny bit of your DNA so you could use humanoid forms. That explains the tank and the need to remature." The Doctor sighed, "Remember I did warn you. K-9 fire"  
"Affiramtive." Mercar looked up at the floating metal dog too late as it opened fire, hitting the tank and the large machine next to it.

The Doctor felt the grip of the guards slid away as they collapsed back to the floor, shaking violently. Up next to Peri, Opein fell forward, only saved from falling off the balcony by the guards. The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and stepped up to Mercar as Timet's body fell to the ground. Prying open the eyes, the Doctor shined the light in and smiled as Timet's eyes cleared and he gasped for air. Helping the boy sit up the slowly the Doctor checked him over quickly, "That does it, without the genetic modification program constantly running, their DNA design breaks down and if they are inside anyone they die." Standing up the Doctor checked the guards who were in similar states of shock and then slipped to the side to release Keleron. Keleron blinked at the Doctor in a mix of fear and awe before dashing over to his family. Sighing the Doctor pocketed the sonic screwdriver and climbed up the stairs to avoid the spilled chemicals from the tank. As K-9 landed next to him, he patted the dog's head and looked over the damange.

The Doctor gazed at the Setics' tank full of their kindred as it burned and sighed at the waste. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Peri rush to her grandsons and join Opein in hugging Timet. Timet's eyes were filled with tears and he gasped in relief as his hand flew to his neck. "It's gone." He whispered in awe, "It's gone." Then his eyes darkened as his face paled, "Grandfather..." Peri sobbed as she threw her arms around him and whispered,  
"It wasn't you Timet, it's not your fault." Opein placed a gentle hand on his son's forehead as the Doctor turned away slowly from the scene. He paused as he became aware of the locator beeping softly in his pocket. Pulling it out he turned it to full power, grateful for the distraction from the uncomfortable scene before him.

The locator beeper louder as he walked back down the stairs and near the tank, "Stay there K-9." K-9 beeped to his master and remained near Peri, watching as the Doctor walked through the spilled chemicals on the floor. He frowned and shook his trainers as he stepped back onto the platform as the locator beeped louder and more rapidly. Moving slowly the Doctor shifted it through the air until his eyes settled on Mercar's communicator. Tapping the locator to it, the Doctor smiled when it shimmered and turned into a segment. He picked it up and tossed it in the air once as he grinned before pocketing it. Turning towards the stairs he shifted uncomfortably as he noticed Peri standing above and watching him. Returning to K-9 he smiled at Peri who slowly returned the smile.  
"Let me guess Doctor, you've got to go." He nodded slowly but Peri just smiled and took his hand leading him back up into the palace and to the main doors as her family followed her up.

Peri wasn't sure if she should be smiling or crying as she watched him start to walk away, so much of who she is was based around that man and who she had been when traveling with him. She picked up her skirts and ran down the palace stairs calling for him. The Doctor spun on his heel, hands in his pockets and a great grin on his face. Pausing in front of him Peri took a deep breath for courage and then asked, "Who was she Doctor?" His smile faded,  
"Who Peri?" Peri gave him a sad smile.  
"Doctor I was married for fifty years." She paused, holding back her own tears of mourning. "You have the look of someone who lost someone they loved." She pointed to his pockets where he had shoved the segment, "And that is to help you get back to her." The Doctor frowned,  
"What makes you so sure that I love her?" "You're going back for her." Peri smiled sadly, "You're fighting for her." She shook her head after a moment to clear the tears, "You didn't for me." "That doesn't mean that I-" Peri cut him off with a wave of her hand.  
"I know Doctor." She sniffed, "I know." She straightened herself up, looking even bit the queen she was. "I'm glad you finally found someone." She smiled, "Stop by once you have her back, I'd like to meet her." The Doctor smiled at her and nodded.  
"Thank you Peri, I will." Peri grinned and wiped away a stray tear before she stepped forward and hugged the Doctor.  
"Good bye Doctor." She whispered before releasing him, "And good luck." Nodding the Doctor walked to the TARDIS, pushing the door open. Then he stopped and turned to look at Peri with a huge grin,  
"You are brilliant Peri!" She grinned back at him, "Take care of your family."

The Doctor tossed his overcoat over the TARDIS rails as he stepped up to the controls, he stared down at the controls for a long time not moving. K-9 rolled up beside him but said nothing, just watched his maker in silence. Finally the Doctor pulled out the segment, turning it over in his hand. "Rose." It was a bare whisper but his face hardened in determination as he walked over to the hatch into the lower levels of the controls. Climbing down he opened the lock box he had hidden down there and pulled out the other four segments. He set the segments in front of K-9 and pulled himself up again before sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. Pulling on his glasses he smiled and picked up two segments. "Alright then let's see if I'm better at puzzles this go around." With a look of great concentration the Doctor fitted the five pieces together quickly turning them over and over in his hands until only room for one remained. Grinning he held it in front of himself and said to K-9 without taking his eyes off of it, "There it is boy. Only one segment to go." The Doctor jumped to his feet and set the incomplete Key to Time down on the console before inserting the locator. "Well now K-9 looks like we're headed for New Earth."

Coming Soon: The Secret of Four Words I 


	13. The Secret of Four Words I

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Thirteen: The Secret of Four Words I

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: Remember that this story was in production before season three came out and I didn't alter my plans so all episodes and information from that season are to be ignored so Gridlock never happened.

A deep breathing filled the dark room as only a few lights shined down from high over head. One of them gave just enough light to let the aged Face of Boe see the surrounding area. Within his tank of smoke he sighed in his mind and reached out, feeling his life force slowly slipping away. Then he opened his eyes as soft footfalls approached. Something resembling a smile passed over his face as he saw Novice Hame and a woman about thirty step into the light. Her long brown hair was tied back with a hair tie and her dark brown eyes swept over the Face of Boe with compassion. She paused as she heard his voice sweep over her. ▒Are you ready?'

The woman nodded firmly, pulling her heavy black leather coat covered in patches and medals more tightly around her. Grabbing a knapsack from the floor, she swung it over her shoulder and gave the Face of Boe a firm nod. "I'll find him, don't worry"  
▒He is different now.' The woman nodded and sighed,  
"Yeah well so am I." Novice Hame touched the woman's arm encouragingly before she moved to the side of the Face of Boe and knelt there.

The woman swung around, pulling out her pistol as a figure in black approached them, shifting herself she stood in front of the Face of Boe. ▒Go, he cannot hurt me today.' She hesitated but the warm and firm voice in her head made her back away as the figure drew closer. She glanced at Novice Hame who gave her a brave smile and nod.  
"I'll look after him dear, go on"  
"I'll be back." She whispered softly as she spun and ran from the room. "I'll find the Doctor."

The Black Guardian smirked at her retreating figure before looking back to the Face of Boe.  
"The time is drawing near." He stood in front of the face, a wicked smile on his white face. "Soon I'll be in control of everything." The Face of Boe breathed deeply and shook his head slowly as Novice Hame placed a hand on his tank.  
▒Do not draw conclusions yet Black Guardian, it is unwise.' The Black Guardian laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the large, dark room.  
"Don't talk of wisdom, I'm even older than you." The Face of Boe almost smiled,  
▒Experience in darkness does not account for all wisdom.' The Face of Boe sighed, ▒He is coming for the final segment, soon the universe will be balanced again and your powers will fade back to what they once were'  
"Oh the Doctor is going to te segment yes but he will not find what he seeks. I've made sure of that."

The Doctor gave a laugh as he stepped out of the TARDIS and into a dark alleyway. "Ah smell that apple grass K-9! Lovely!" He shut the door of the TARDIS behind his metal companion and pulled out the locator, frowning when he only picked up a very weak signals. "Well this one isn't going to easy." The Doctor sighed, pocketing the locator, "Although knowing the Black Guardian, he'll put in an appearance. Did last time I was on the sixth and final segment." Grinning happily the Doctor set off down the alley towards a sunlit area not far ahead, whistling a soft tune as he glanced around. Stepping into the sunlight the Doctor looked around carefully at the peaceful square as the shadows of the overhead cars moved across the area. "Hasn't changed much, although never did come into the city last time too busy at the hospital. Cats, nuns and all that."

Pulling out the locator again, the Doctor turned around trying to get a stronger signal. "We must have landed very far away K-9"  
"Negative Doctor-master, I estimate by locator's range we are only a few miles from segment." Nodding the Doctor turned the locator to the south,  
"Good to know K-9 thanks, but any idea which way the signal is strongest. I really don't fancy wandering about for a month"  
"Suggest we attempt search to the south Doctor-master." Looking at the locator the Doctor nodded, noting that the signal seemed to be the tiniest bit stronger that way.  
"Right you are K-9, off we go." The metal dog rolled forward, following the Doctor closely as they wandered down the glass covered and crowded walkway. 

Her body was tense as she watched everyone around her carefully in the open parks. The brown haired woman didn't dare relax until she had found the Doctor and she knew that even then things still wouldn't be nice and neat. A smile almost graced her attractive features as she gave into a small memory for a short moment before tapping the tracker on her wrist. The device beeped and whirled as she scanner a three kilometer radius before it beeped again. "Two hearts, that's him." Running quickly, she dashed onto the south bound walkway, the idiot was going the wrong way.

Grinning, the Doctor twirled the locator around his long fingers as the signal slowly grew stronger as he and K-9 moved south. Beside him the metal dog was getting some odd looks even five billion years in the future, why couldn't any one appreciate quality work. He did hope that Rose would warm up to this version of K-9 seeing as how she hadn't liked the Mark III, although that may have had more to do with Sarah Jane than K-9. Looking down at his metal companion, he smiled, it was a brilliant piece of machinery and granted it was an advanced AI system which had emotions but he was starting to miss having someone with imagination to talk to. He glanced back at the locator that his fingers were still playing with and smiled softly, after all that was the point of all this. Well get Rose back and save the universe from the Black Guardian. It looked like was going to be a pretty good time.

The woman jogged at a steady pace to close the distance between herself and the Doctor, a large pair of black sunglasses now protecting her eyes from the sunlight coming through the thick glass coverings of the walk ways. Around her citizens of New New York went about their lives, some more human than others: digihumans, protohumans and humanish creatures populating a world so similar to her home one and yet so different. The day sky looked the same, the same sade of blue with clouds wisping about but at night, new stars in new shapes. This world was home to many but not to her. Shaking out of her thoughts she adjusted the tracker, smiling as she realized she was closing the gap between her and the Doctor.

Novice Hame adjusted the controls very carefully, her eyes darting between the Face of Boe and the Black Guardian wh was watching with a detached interest. "Surely there is no reason for you to stay here. The Doctor is not here and your presence is hurting the Face of Boe." Novice Hame spoke softly addressing the Black Guardian. The Guardian chuckled and folded his robes tighter around himself, making his look even more like a bat. Novice Hame looked back at the Face of Boe tenderly, "Surely you do not need to be here draining energy." "But I do." He stepped closer, still avoiding the lights. "I need to be here for his finale, dying breath." The Face of Boe sent a comforting thought to Novice Hame.  
▒It will be fine.' The Black Guardian laughed.  
"That why good loses in the end, over confidence that it will all work out." His lips twisted into a cruel smile, "After all look at what has happened to the Doctor."

Stepping into a tall fancy building the Doctor smiled as the signal grew even stronger as he pointed it up, it was in this building. He'd just have to narrow it down floor by floor, at least there were only three hundred of them, he'd seen worse. A purple haired receptionist with bright orange eyes looked up at him from her desk as he pulled out his slightly psychic paper and showed her a rather official looking badge. "Oh I see Doctor Smith, please go ahead and check on whatever you need." She stood and opened the back lift, "Just use one of the office comm stations if you need anything." The Doctor nodded and motioned for K-9 to follow him, at her questioning look he grinned and answered as the doors closed.  
"Testing new equipment."

The elevator tune was a happy little tune that was very familiar but he couldn't quiet place it as he began to hum along with it even as the locator kept signaling up. "K-9"  
"Yes Master"  
"Do you know what this tune is, I can't place it." Then he rocked on his feet humming it louder and tapping his foot.  
"According to my data banks it is the theme song of the Great Escape." Grinning the Doctor nodded.  
"Right K-9! I knew I knew it, can't believe I forgot that." He glanced at the controls, "Floor two hundred and still going up, well that narrows it down." His smile grew with each floor they passed. "201.. 202... 203... 204... 205... 206... 207... 208... 209... 210... 211... 212..." The Doctor stopped when the locator grew hotter in his hand for a moment before it was silent, a moment later the beeping resumed leaving the Doctor concerned. Then the locator began beeping very rapidly and the doors of the lift opened on floor three hundred. Frowning the Doctor stepped out and looked around, white sheets covered all the furniture and the room looked like it was under construction. Advanced versions of blue prints, screwdrivers and various tools were spread on work tables throughout the room. Stepping fully into the room the Doctor waved the locator about slowly trying to get a better reading on the segment but he stopped when he heard chuckling from behind him and K-9. Turning the Doctor raised an eyebrow as two very very large Giknoans moved in front of the lift doors, snarling at him. Now Giknoans are very ugly with violet skin that looks like it is covered in blue ache with two sets of eyes, one above the other. "Hello there, I'm the Doctor." The Doctor commented cheerfully pulling out the psychic paper and holding up the projection of an identification card for the Triangtic Company.

One of the Giknoans growled and stepped forward, moving very silently considering it's size. "Doctor." The Doctor nodded cheerfully.  
"Master sensors indicate weapons, pistols of Alpha class using high fission rays." "Ah I see then well I'll just be a moment and then I'll be leaving." The Doctor commented as he tried to get the locator to fix on something solid.  
"Segment not here." The Giknoan said in a raspy voice. "Black Guardian laid trap, Doctor fell in." Raising an eyebrow the Doctor pocketed the locator.  
"What kind of trap." Laughing the Giknoan pulled out a small square and held it up for the Doctor to see.  
"The kind with a fake segment." Then the Giknoan reached into his coat and pulled out the weapon K-9 had warned him about. "And the kind that kills you each time you regenerate."

Coming Soon: The Secret of Four Words I 


	14. The Secret of Four Words II

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Fourteen: The Secret of Four Words II

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: Let's see who figured out our mystery guest! Remember to review!

The Doctor nodded, his mouth open just a bit as he pulled on his glasses and examined the weapon in front of him. "Yes I see, quiet right K-9:pistols of Alpha class armed with high fission rays. Nasty little buggers." He sighed and pulled off his glasses. "So what, now you keep shooting me, each time I regenerate"  
"Top floor." The Giknoan muttered, "No escape." The Doctor raised an eyebrow as he looked behind them at the lift and blinked in surprise to see it was returning to floor 300. "Doctor dies and Black Guardian rewards"  
"Why does he want me dead, does he already have the segment"  
"You die, we take body to Black Guardian, he finds what he wants in Blue Box. Then we get Blue Box." The Doctor's eyesbrows almost went into his hairline.  
"He's promised you the TARDIS, oh now you should know he'll kill you as soon as you deliver my dead body." The Giknoans grunted to each other but kept their weapons on him as the Doctor risked a glance at the lift. "Oh at least let me say goodbye to my dog." The Doctor motioned to K-9, "He's been such a very very good friend." As the Giknoans looked at each other in confusion, the Doctor dropped to his knees and whispered to K-9. "When the lift arrives at this floor I want you to shoot at the Giknoans feet, they are very cautious creatures so we can escape"  
"Affirmative Master"  
"That's enough talk with metal toy." The Doctor groaned and rolled his eyes at the description of K-9 but stood and raised his hands.  
"Alright alright."

The Doctor grinned as the lift beeped and K-9's shots went off making the Giknoans jump for cover but then they were surrounded in a blue electric charge and fell to the floor. Blinking to Doctor looked through the smoke into the lift to see a young woman with a electric stun gun. "Come on in Doctor. No time to lose." "Who are you?" The Doctor asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. The woman sighed, taking off her sunglasses.  
"There's no time for this"  
"I've already had one trap today and don't fancy another, I'm on a schedule." A small smile crossed the woman's face at his words as she holstered her gun and then turned to show him the back of her black leather coat. Blinking, the Doctor took in the three letters ▒A-C-E'. Turning back to face him she smiled, this one reached up into her soft brown eyes. Clearing her throat she tossed her hair out of her face and asked,  
"Hello Professor, now can we go?" 

Fumbling over the Giknoans the Doctor stepped over K-9 and into the lift as Ace swiped a card and hit the first floor button. Once that was done she looked back at him, "It's been awhile"  
"Judging from you appearance I'd say at least twelve years to you"  
"Judging form your I'd saw at lest one regeneration to you"  
"Two, this is my tenth body." Ace nodded still smiling slightly at him.  
"Bit younger this go around." The Doctor grinned and laughed as Ace looked down at K-9, "So who is this"  
"This is K-9. K-9 this is Ace"  
"K-9 Mark V to be exact mistress. You are Dorothy McShane, native planet: Earth, native time period: 20th century and fond of explosives known as Nitro-9. Traveled with Doctor-Master's seventh form"  
"Cute dog Doctor." Ace remarked, biting back a smile. "But I'm afraid I was sent to find you"  
"Figured as much." The Doctor shook his head, "I'm running into a lot of old companions on this trip." Ace raised an eyebrow at him, "Course it would be irony considering the goal of this trip is to find a former companion. Maybe I should have looked up"  
"Wow have you got a gob." Ace remarked sharply before she cut him off, "Now before you start running your mouth again Professor the Face of Boe has been taken prisoner of the Black Guardian."

The Doctor's face grew very serious and Ace nodded, seeing her own Doctor in the intense look of concentration. "Any idea why the Black Guardian has an interest in the Face of Boe"  
"I'd guess to stop him from telling you the secret." Ace sighed, "The Face of Boe is dying Doctor, he needs to see you soon, he has information for you about the Key to Time." The Doctor nodded slowly and paused.  
"We can't fight the Black Guardian head on Ace, we need to get him away from the Face of Boe somehow"  
"According the Face of Boe, the only thing the Black Guardian wants is the Key to Time"  
"That's not an only Ace, still..." The Doctor trailed off for a moment before he hit the stop button in the lift and pressed for the 300 floor again.  
"What are you doing?" Ace hissed, the Doctor knelt next to K-9.  
"I'll need you lasers K-9"  
"I am at your disposal master"  
"Good dog." K-9's tail wagged as he turned towards the door with his laser out.  
"Affirmative.  
"What are we doing Professor." The Doctor grinned,  
"The artificial segment they used to lure me here, I think we can use it against the Black Guardian." 

After a moment Ace grinned and pulled out her stun gun. "I'm surprised to see you using only a stunner." The Doctor remarked, "Have you given up Nitro-nine yet"  
"Believe it or not yes." The Doctor gaped at her as Ace smirked. "I gave it up in favor of my new Nitro-19." "Still Ace I see." She smiled, "Hopefully a little older and wiser"  
"I leave the wisdom to you Professor." The lift beeped open and both K-9 and Ace fired their stun beams, knocking the two Giknoans back to the floor. Motioning for them to stay put, the Doctor jumped over and snatched up the artificial segment from the floor. Grinning at it he shoved it into his pocket and reentered the lift.  
"We can go now Ace. First floor please." Rolling her eyes Ace pushed the button and they began descent. They were both quiet for a few mintues until the Doctor looked over at her,  
"So how did you meet the Face of Boe." Smiling at the memory Ace replied,  
"Well my time hopped was damaged and I ended up on New Earth a few years back injured, the Face of Boe took me in. I've been working for him ever since." The Doctor blinked and frowned,  
"Doing what exactly Ace." She smiled.  
"Relax Doctor, you'll still acting like my dad or something." Giving an embarrassed shrug the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "Mostly I act as a pilot and a body guard. He told me that you'd be showing up in a few years so I stuck around." The Doctor nodded slowly,  
"Oh so you're doing okay." Ace nodded, tapping her foot to the new lift music.  
"Yeah I've been good the last few years except..." Ace trailed off and sighed, "I heard rumors about Gallifrey and the Time Lords." Biting her lip nervously she sighed, "Is it true that they're all gone Professor." She looked over at him to see him staring at the ceiling of the lift and then he nodded quickly. "I'm sorry." Ace whispered, "I'm so sorry Professor." Then without warning she hugged him.  
"Thank you Ace." The Doctor muttered as she released him. She managed a smile,  
"That's what old friends are for Doctor." Then Ace's smile got a bit mischievous, "The Face of Boe also told me you have a girlfriend now, that's a new thing for you isn't it." 

Gapping at her, the Doctor was happy when the lift beeped and the doors to the first floor opened sparing him from answering. "Come on Ace!" The Doctor grumbled rushing out of the lift leaving K-9 and the laughing Ace to follow him out of the building. Reaching the sun light covered walkways again Ace slid her sunglasses back on as the Doctor turned to her. "I can't believe it has come to this but you're leading now." Grinning Ace looked at her wrist and tapped it trying to fix on the Face of Boe but the screen flickered for a moment before the face of the Black Guardian appeared instead. "I don't think the Face of Boe can answer you right now. Tell the Doctor my offer still stands and if he wants to be intelligent he can reach me on signal wave 666." The screen went blank leaving Ace shivering for a moment. Turning to the Doctor she gaped at the dark look in his eyes.  
"I heard." Was all the Doctor said before he pulled out the false segment. "The real Key to Time is sealed in the TARDIS where he can't detect it." The Doctor turned the small black cube in his hand, "If I can run enough power through this I can magnify the signal to create the illusion of the Key to Time." The Doctor lunged forward and motioned for Ace's watch which she handed over. Inspecting it for a moment the Doctor pressed a few buttons and it whirled. "It's not finding anything close by." The Doctor ruffled his hair in agrivation for a moment as he paced.

K-9 beeped suddenly at the Doctor's feet, "Master." The Doctor stopped, sighing before he looked at K-9.  
"Yes K-9." The metal dog whirled for a moment as it's tail wagged.  
"Bad Wolf alert." Blinking the Doctor ran the words through his head again, "What was that K-9"  
"Bad Wolf alert." Ace tapped his shoulder and pointed across the square to a sign that indicated Bad Wolf Center was twenty kilometers west.  
"I think he means that." For a moment the Doctor's face didn't change and then he started laughing causing Ace to step back. Shaking his head the Doctor smiled and grabbed Ace's hand as he hailed one of the city cabs. Loading up K-9 the Doctor firmly told the driver to take them to the Bad Wolf Center as Ace handed him some credits.

Ace waiting until the driver had closed the window between them and himself before turning to the Doctor. "What is all this Bad Wolf stuff mean Doctor? I mean when you were traveling with me you freaked over wolves"  
"Around you wolves meant Fenric which meant a battle between good and evil." A far off look crossed the Doctor's face. "This wolf is very different than that"  
"Bad Wolf serves as a signal between Doctor-Master and Mistress Rose Tyler." K-9 informed Ace who raised an eyebrow.  
"The girlfriend the Face of Boe mentioned"  
"Affirmative, Mistress Rose used the power of the Time Vortex to leave clues throughout space and time leading herself back to the Doctor"  
"And apparently that message goes on longer than I thought Ace." The Doctor stated as he glanced back at her, "I said goodbye to Rose at Bad Wolf Bay but it looks like Rose Bad Wolf isn't done yet." A smile broke out over Ace's face.  
"I so need to meet this girl. Sounds like we might get along." The Doctor smiled for a moment,  
"You might just, Rose was pretty independent too. She liked to stay where the action was but she was also very compassionate... even had pity for a Dalek." He trailed off as they reached the Bad Wolf center and stepped out of the cab quickly.

Setting K-9 back on the ground, Ace stood and faced the Doctor, "What now Professor?" The Doctor looked at the sensors on Ace's watch again and grinned,  
"This is prefect." The Doctor rushed inside leaving Ace and K-9 to dart after him. Flashing a guard the psychic paper, he went down into the maintenance area. It was there that K-9 and Ace found him a few minutes later sitting on the floor with the cube in his lap, happily wrapping wires around the black cube with his glasses perched on the end of his nose. Smiling at the picture Ace asked,  
"Anything I can do Professor?" Nodding the Doctor pulled out the locator and tossed it to her, "Tell me what intensity of signal that gets when I change the energy level." Nodding her understanding Ace flicked the alien device on and held it out.  
"Nothing Professor." The Doctor blinked at her,  
"Well that's because I haven't turned it on Ace." Blushing Ace pushed some hair from her face,  
"Sorry." The Doctor just grinned at her and motioned for K-9 to join him.  
"K-9 I need to weld these wires and this tube to the cube." He pointed at three small wires and a large orange tube.  
"Affirmative Master." Covering his eyes, the Doctor leaned back and set the cube on the floor in front of K-9. Ace too covered her eyes when red sparks came out of K-9, fusing the parts together. "Welding complete Master."

The Doctor laughed happily and scooped up the cube before setting it back behind on the power tubes, a large clear cylinder with blue liquid running though it. Hooking it up to the underside of three of the cylinders, the Doctor nodded and Ace jumped as the locator went crazy in her hand. "It's off it's rocker Doctor! It won't stop beeping." Nodding the Doctor leapt up from the floor and nodded to Ace, before reaching over and turning off the locator. "That will do Ace"  
"So now what Professor?" "Now I need you to take me to the Face of Boe." Ace grinned back at him and nodded,  
"So the Black Guardian will send his guards here, thinking you've stashed the other parts here leaving less security around the Face of Boe." The Doctor nodded grimly,  
"Lead on Ace. If the Face of Boe wants to die and pass on the secret today I suppose even I can't stop him."

Ace led the Doctor back to the Face of Boe's hiding place in the Greater Manhattan area, although she agreed that it hadn't been much of a hiding place. It was tall grey building, just like the others around it but the Doctor could feel the pull of a telepathic nearby. "Where in the building is he?" The Doctor asked pulling Ace into an alley.  
"In the basement Professor, why are we in the alley"  
"I'm sure he's watching the outside." The Doctor looked around an grinned as he spotted a trapdoor near them. Following his gaze Ace groaned, "I didn't see any other way in." The Doctor smirked at her as he pulled the trapdoor open.  
"I though you carried Nitro-19 nowadays." A grin spread over Ace's face and she dropped into the foundations under the city. She blinked in surprise, it wasn't smelly or dank at all, just dark.  
"Nice sewer." The Doctor chuckled as he looked down the long tunnels, grinning as K-9 used his hover pad to join them making Ace chuckle and shake her head. K-9 beeped for a moment and a torch rose out of his back, rising past his head before it switched on, lighting up the area.  
"It's not a sewer, looks like a delivery system." The Doctor remarked looking back up into the street above as Ace dropped her pack and dug out a torch. "All the building above are shops and businesses. In a city like this, you don't make big delivers by sky." Nodding Ace turned on her torch and shined it down the tunnel down ways before swinging her pack on her back.  
"And here I go following you into danger again"  
"I know brilliant isn't it."

Up Next: The final chapter of the Key to Time 


	15. The Secret of Four Words III

The Key to Time by Peyton Halliwell Chapter Fifteen: The Secret of Four Words III

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: WOW! We made it! Review and keep me motivated to write the sequel!

Novice Hame looked up in alarm as the Black Guardian gave a vicious snarl, his dark eyes flashing with anger and a tiny ray of confusion. Only the gentle mind brush of the Face of Boe kept her from reacting further as she tended to him. Calling to his men the Black Guardian snapped some orders to the three Giknoans in their native tongue. Novice Hame blinked as he argued with them before announcing, "I will return some, this may be a diversion so stay close to the prisoner. If the Doctor has tried to hide the Key to Time I will go myself." He glanced at his henchmen frowning, "As you cannot be trusted with this." The Black Guardian turned his eyes back to the Face of Boe and sneered. "I'll be back in time. Don't worry about that."

The Giknoans snorted to each other as the Black Guardian faded from sight in front of them. "Me no like him." The largest of the Giknoans growled at his comrade.  
"We work for Guardian. You be silent. He be back soon." Novice Hame knelt before the Face of Boe who was breathing with more effort than before.  
"It's alright." She whispered. He smiled at his nurse and she heard his voice in her mind,  
▒He and Ace will be here soon."

The Doctor walked forward in the delivery tunnel slowly and carefully, listening for Ace behind him as K-9 rolled along beside him. "So Doctor the Key to Time, how is that going to help you find your girlfriend?" The Doctor flinched slightly at Ace's use of the word girlfriend.  
"Her name is Rose Tyler Ace"  
"Girlfriend makes you flinch though, she must be pretty special. When I traveled with you I was so sure you were asexual." The Doctor sighed and gave into her earlier question to change the topic of the conversation.  
"The Key to Time will let me establish a time loop so I can talk and work with my past selves without a paradox. Basically it will remove them from their points in my time line so we can work together without them or me remembering it. That is the only way to open a doorway to another universe now that Gallifrey is gone." Ace nodded beginning to understand.  
"So you've got to talk to all your past selves and work with them." She grinned, "I remember the Brigadier talking about a few of your past forms." The Doctor smiled at the memory of Ace meeting Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.  
"Yeah the Brigadier had a habit of meeting me in most of my forms. I remember how you didn't like him at first"  
"I just didn't like finding out that I wasn't the first human you traveled with."

Nodding the Doctor sighed, "Yeah that happened with Rose." The Doctor stopped and turned to Ace, surprising her. "I want to say this now Ace. No companion or assistant of mine has ever been like another. I care about all of them in different ways. My traveling with you didn't make me care about Sarah Jane any less and my traveling with Rose didn't make me care about you any less." A smile took over Ace's face and she nodded.  
"I get that now Professor, I really do." Giving her a sharp nod the Doctor pointed at the ceiling a few feet in front of them. "K-9 run a check on this area, where can we blast through without causing the building to fall on us"  
"I get to blow something up?!" Ace asked him excitably. Sighing he nodded at her, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  
"Yes Ace you get to blow something up"  
"ACE!" She cheered happily, clapping her hand together.

Crushing the artificial segment in his hand the Black Guardian growled viciously, releasing a long shout of curses about the Doctor. Pulling his dark robes more tightly around him, he prepared to phase back to the building and his prisoner but nothing happened. "I created a travikitan barrier around this area." Eyes flashing with anger the Black Guardian turned to source of the statement to see a tall dark haired man leaning against the doorway in a black tailored suit. A blue public telephone box stood a few feet behind him as he smirked.  
"Ah the future form of the Doctor has returned." The Twelfth Doctor smirked and nodded deeply to the Black Guardian.  
"Can't say it is nice to see you too Guardian. Don't worry I'll release you once my past self has the next segment." The glare directed at him didn't even worry the Twelfth Doctor. "I warned you not to get in my way"  
"You will pay for this Doctor." The Twelfth Doctor raised an eyebrow and shrugged, his blue eyes distant to the situation.  
"Perhaps Black Guardian. I'm just doing what has to be done right now. You're the one trying tip the balance in your favor. Trust me I've got better things to do"  
"Something to do with the Mrs?" The Black Guardian questioned with a sneer, the Twelfth Doctor chuckled.  
"Nice try Guardian, lucky for time and paradoxes my tenth form has the gob, not me." He looked down at his watch, "Oh don't worry you'll be out of here in two hours or so Black Guardian and he or rather I'll be long gone with the Key to Time."

The Doctor was seriously beginning to rethink his decision as he saw the oh so familiar glow in Ace's eyes as she set down her beloved charges. He hoped that she had gotten better with the timers or Rose might have to make due with his eleventh form and that idea didn't exactly please him. So instead he took a few steps back and motioned for K-9 to do the same as Ace set the last canister down. "That should do it Professor." She stood up sharply and turned to see him standing so far away. A knowing smirk took over her face and she laughed and pulled out a small remote. "I upgraded to remote a few years back Professor." She dashed over to him happily and turned back to the canisters sealed against the ceiling of the tunnel. "All the charges are placed, right where K-9 said to put them. Are you ready"  
"Not really." The Doctor replied quickly, "But don't let that stop you." Grinning manically Ace shoved the button down and shouted as the ceiling fell into the tunnel. Grabbing her shoulder the Doctor pulled her against the wall as the tunnel shook. He sighed in relief as the rest of the tunnel remained standing, leaving a pile of rubble underneath a large hole. "Well done Ace." He looked over at the hole, "You and my last form would have gotten along really well." Ace pulled her knapsack back oh and looked at him in interest.  
"Really."

The Doctor nodded, rubbing the back of his neck and sighed, "I met Rose when I blew up her job." A grin spread over Ace's face and she nodded.  
"Nice." Smiling at her energy the Doctor looked at K-9.  
"K-9, lift yourself up through the hole first. Let me know what is up there. Use your stun lazers if you see any Giknoans"  
"Affirmative Doctor-Master."

Ace nodded in approval as K-9 lifted off of the floor of the tunnel, using his hover pad and flew through the hole. ▒Nice dog Professor"  
"Thanks I can't wait to build him." At the questioning look the Doctor grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets. "My twelfth self built him and sent him back through time to help me"  
"Nothing is normal around you. I guess some things never change." The Doctor moved up the rubble pile and pulled himself up through the hole with ease. Glancing around he rested his eyes on K-9 who was scanning the entrance of the room. "Looks like an empty office or storeroom Ace." She nodded in agreement as she reached the top of the rubble and took the Doctor's offered hand. Pulling out her stun gun Ace visually checked for any Giknoans. "K-9 have you got a reading on any other life forms"  
"Three floors up Doctor-Master. Detecting five life forms."

Nodding the Doctor let Ace take the lead, she motioned for them to follow her to the stairs a few feet from the office door. The halls were in much the same sad state. "Any idea why this building is so run down?" The Doctor asked her suddenly as they found the staircase. Ace shook her head and shrugged.  
"It is weird since the buildings next door are successful businesses. I figured the Face of Boe owns it or something." The Doctor nodded, accepting that possibility as K-9 floated next to him up the stairs. 

The trio froze as they reached the floor, Ace used the scanner in her watch for a moment and exhaled a deep breath. "He's still alive Professor." Nodding the Doctor pushed the door open just a tiny bit and looked in. Spotting the Face of Boe was no trouble but he blinked in surprise at the sight of the nurse cat.  
"He has one of those cats as a nurse." Ace blinked at the odd topic but nodded the affirmative.  
"She was one of the hospital staff a few years back who took care of him. After the scandal she stayed with him. Hame is a sweet heart." The Doctor nodded and shrugged.  
"Good to know, don't hurt the cat." He breathed softly as the Giknoans came into their view and he held the leather of Ace's belt shift as she pulled out her gun. "K-9 take out the two on the left, stunners only I don't want any deaths today. Ace handle the other one. I need to get to the Face of Boe as soon as possible."

The Giknoans roared as the door swung open and a small metal animal and the girl opened fire on them. Dashing behind them, the Doctor grabbed Novice Hame and pulled her to the floor as one of the Giknoans' shot flew past them. Ace had to drop to the floor to avoid a stray shot but managed to shoot down one of the Giknoans. Smirking she turned to the other two and sighed as they both dropped to the floor. Looking down at K-9, Ace shook her head. "You've got some fire power don't you pup"  
"Affirmative." The Doctor stood up slowly, helping Novice Hame up from the floor.

Turning to the Face of Boe the Doctor froze, the stray shot he and Novice Hame had avoided had hit the Face of Boe's tank. While the old being was still alive, the glass of his medical tank was shattered. Novice Hame placed her hand on it gently. "It is today then." "Ace." The Doctor said softly, "Tie up the Giknoans while Hame and I help him."

Ace tried to hide the tears in her eyes as the Face of Boe breathed with great effort in front of them, freed from his tank. He was calm as he breathed the air of New Earth without filters or his medical smoke. "It's good to breathe the air once more." The Doctor knelt in front of him,  
"Please..." The Doctor begged softly, "Let me help you." The Face of Boe chuckled with effort as he blinked slowly.  
"Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most." "Oh come." Ace hissed joining the Doctor in front of him. "Can't be time to chuck it all in yet"  
"The legend says that you still have to tell the wander something." Novice Hame said gently from beside the Face of Boe.  
"Don't. There's no need for that." The Doctor said firmly giving the nurse a clearly put out look.  
"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?" Seeing his face, Ace takes the Doctor's hand gently and squeezes, seeing the vast change in him since she knew him.  
"I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind ≈ as you are the last of yours, Doctor"  
"That's why we have to survive. Both of us. Don't go." The Face of Boe offered the Doctor a smile and sighed, "I must Doctor for in my final words you will find the answer you need but hurry before I die. Know this Time Lord and defeat the Black Guardian: I am the segment." 

It was Ace who pulled the locator from the Doctor's pocket as he stared at the Face of Boe and pushed it into his hand. The Doctor dropped his eyes to it and then looked back at Ace breathing heavily. "Hurry." Ace whispered motioning to the Face of Boe. Taking a breath the Doctor held the locator to the Face of Boe who smiled softly and breathed out one last time before he was encased in light. Silence filled the room as Novice Hame covered her mouth to stop a sob from escaping and Ace bit her lip. The light cleared leaving only the small clear fragment on the floor in front of the Doctor. Reaching out, he picked it up gently and exhaled as K-9 rolled up next to him.  
"All segments of the Key to Time found Doctor-Master." The Doctor turned the segment over in his hands and nodded.  
"Affirmative K-9. We've got them all."

The Doctor stood and placed the segment in his pocket turning to Novice Hame who was crying softly. She turned her eyes to the Doctor and forced a smile, "I know he would have been glad for this"  
"You stayed with him all these years." She nodded and wiped her damp paw.  
"After the release of the new humans I sought redemption, he taught me how to find a better way." She straightened up, "Now I have further work to do Doctor." The cat nurse gave him a smile, "As do you." The Doctor nodded.  
"Yeah better clear out before the Black Guardian senses the segment. I'm surprised he hasn't already returned." Shaking his head, the Doctor turned to Ace. "Can you lead me back to the TARDIS." Nodding Ace grabbed her stun gun and lead the Doctor from the building through the main doors.

Ignoring the Black Guardian's glare the Twelfth Doctor glanced down at his watch and nodded. "Alright then Black Guardian." The Twelfth Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a small remote, only an inch or so long and wide. "I've got places to go." The Black Guardian narrowed his eyes further making the Doctor chuckle.  
"My mother-in-law always so fit to remind me that doing that will only give you wrinkles." Opening the door of his TARDIS behind him, the Twelfth Doctor stepped back into the doorway.  
"Preparing to run Doctor"  
"I'm a lot of things, stupid has yet to be one of them." Smirking again the Doctor fixed his blue tie and then pressed the button. As the field dropped he slammed the door of the TARDIS leaving the Black Guardian to hiss in anger as the TARDIS vanished.

Stepping into the TARDIS, the Tenth Doctor picked up the Key to Time in his left hand as Ace stepped inside behind him and shut the door. He smiled, hearing her exhale as she looked around at the control room. "It's changed Professor." She paused, looking it over critically. "I like it, less sterile more energy and personality in this look. The old white walls made me think of a hospital or a Doctor's office and I never cared much for either." The Doctor rolled his eyes at the pun as he pulled out the last segment. Holding his breath the Doctor slid the final part into place as a soft glow began pulsing in the Key to Time. Releasing the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding the Doctor placed the Key to Time on the console carefully and took a step back to look at it.

"Now what Professor?" Ace asked suddenly, shocking the Doctor out of his thoughts. He turned to her, placing a hand protectively over the Key to Time as if he feared that it would vanish from his sight and grasp.  
"Thank you for your help Ace." His smile was sincere and soft, Ace nodded and looked around the TARDIS again before her eyes drifted down to K-9.  
"I don't suppose I could go with you Professor?" The Doctor blinked at her request and then smiled at her, a grin taking over his face. Kneeling next to K-9 the Doctor asked the machine,  
"What do you think K-9, has the TARDIS got room for one more"  
"The TARDIS is trans-dimensional Doctor-Master. It adjusts to-" The Doctor stood, ignoring K-9's continued comments.  
"Sounds like we can handle it Ace. Welcome back."

The Doctor grabbed the Key to Time as the TARDIS gave a violent shudder, dematerializing from New Earth and rematerializing suddenly. "I didn't do that." The Doctor commented as Ace looked up at him from where she had grabbed the railings. Checking the scanner the Doctor watched Ace place a hand on the door of the TARDIS, watching for a signal. "I know who it is Ace, it's okay." She pushed open the door and white light flooded into the TARDIS, highlighting the Doctor's grin. "Hello White Guardian." The Doctor held out the Key to Time as the older man dressed in a white suit stepped into the TARDIS. "I've done my part, now it is time for your part of the deal"  
"Indeed it is time for my part. Are you ready Doctor?"

Review so I'll write the sequel! 


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